Abstract
Seven Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes, representing the three common Egyptian local cultivars, were subjected to random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using ten random primers. The ten primers generated 657 RAPD fragments, of which 77 were polymorphic with 11.72 %. The seven genotypes were discriminated with 3-11 distinct polymorphic bands generated from the primers CHI 15 (3), and RAP, EZ and NAH (11). The genetic similarity was estimated for each primer among the seven genotypes. Results of a cluster analysis showed that the genetic similarity between the seven genotypes ranged from 58.0% to 92.0%. The highest genetic similarity of 92.0% was detected between genotypes LB1 and LB2 (original population "OP" and selected population "SP"; long slender black fruits), followed by 86.0% between genotypes RB1 and RB2 (OP and SP; round or egg shaped black fruits), and 80.0% between genotypes LB2 (SP; long slender black fruits) and RB2 (SP; round or egg shaped black fruits). However, the lowest genetic similarity of 58.0% was detected between both genotypes LW1 and LW2 (OP and SP; long slender white fruits) and genotype PO (SP; purple oblong shape fruits), followed by RB1 (OP; round or egg shaped black fruits) and PO (61.0%). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of 18S rRNA gene was carried out using four different restriction enzymes viz. EcoRI, Taql, Pstl and HindIII. Only the restriction pattern of Taq I enzyme showed distinct polymorphic bands among the seven examined eggplant genotypes and divided them into three different groups. However, the RAPD-PCR succeeded to divide them into two major groups; group one contained only genotype PO (SP; purple oblong shape fruits) and the second group included the other genotypes.