Molecular Phylogeny of mangroves III Parentage analysis of a Rhizophora hybrid using random amplified polymorphic DNA and restriction fragment length polymorphism markers

In this study, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers of genomic DNA and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of mitochondrial DNA using a mitochondrial genome specific probe, atp 6 (from maize), were used to identify the parentage of a Rhizophora hybrid. The combined RAPD profiles of two species, Rhizophora apiculata and R. mucronata had 96.5% similarity with that of the hybrid, indicating that these two species are the probable parents. RFLPs for the mitochondrial genome were readily observed, and the RFLP profile of R. apiculata was exactly the same as that of the hybrid, establishing its maternal status for the hybrid. This is the first report on characterising the parentage of a Rhizophora hybrid using molecular markers.