Development and characterization of simple sequence repeats (SSR) as markers to identify strawberry cultivars (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.)

Abstract

The octoploid cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa Duch., is one of the most important commercial fruit species in Japan. Recently, cultivars developed in Japan are being used in other countries and the products are exported to Japan without the permission of breeders. Therefore, we need a way to protect breeders' rights. So, we newly developed four simple sequence repeats (SSR) as markers to establish a more reliable method for the identification of strawberry cultivars (F. x ananassa). Especially, the frequency of two marker polymorphisms was high, and they facilitated the detection of 10 major Japanese commercial strawberry cultivars. The results indicated that the SSR markers were specific enough to identify octoploid strawberry cultivars for the protection of breeders' rights.