Genetic variability in foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv. - RFLP using a heterologous rDNA probe

Ribosomal DNA was surveyed in a world collection (43 lines) of Setaria italica for variation in repeat unit length and restriction enzyme site variability using a non-radioactive wheat rDNA probe. Only two lengths of repeat units of about 7.9 or 7.6 kb were observed. The fact that these two repeat unit lengths were not randomly dispersed throughout the world collection suggests the existence of three genetic groups. The central European lines and most western European accessions have only the 7.6 kb repeat unit and most Asiatic lines have a 7.9 kb repeat unit. Lines originating from the north or the south of Asia showed different numbers of Bam HI fragments. The fact that the difference between the Asiatic and European pool is not continuous (7.9 or 7.6 kb) excludes the hypothesis of domestication being based on the spread of an initial population over Eurasia.