Lemna minor Tubulin-based polymorphism (TBP) amplified fragments

Duckweeds (Lemnaceae Martinov) are aquatic monocotyledonous plants comprising five genera and 35 recognized species. Many species are morphologically indistinguishable due to their highly reduced structures, yet molecular evidence suggests that visually similar clones may represent distinct species or hybrids. For example, clonal accessions of the globally distributed Lemna minor in the Landolt Duckweed Collection exhibit genome size variations of several hundred megabases (Mb), raising questions about their taxonomic classification and evolutionary origins. We analyzed presumed L. minor clones to resolve these relationships using a comprehensive suite of methods, including Tubulin Based-Polymophism (TBP) technique. TBP is widely applicable for a first and rapid classification of any plant genome. It is a selective PCR based amplification of the two introns present at conserved positions within the coding sequences of plant β-tubulin genes. Amplification releases multiple amplified fragments composing a simple yet distinctive genomic profile for each analysed accession.