Characterisation of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) based on isoenzyme data. Considerations on the current status of this taxon in Spain

As a part of a wide project to determine the conservation status and collecting expeditions of wild plant genetic resources of genus Brassica (species n = 9) of the Iberian Peninsula, twenty-nine wild populations of Brassica oleracea L. were characterised using the isoenzymatic profiles of seeds collected from their natural habitats. The zymograms, obtained using bulking seeds, identified samples faster than other methodologies, which could be useful in seed bank management as well as the regular monitoring of the status of in situ conservation. Five isoenzymatic systems were analysed considering the electrophoretic phenotype of the whole population (not individuals). Using enzymatic bands as qualitative characters, data were evaluated using phenetic clustering methods unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages. The enzyme systems showed high polymorphism levels, and each studied population of B. oleracea showed a characteristic zymogram in each of the assayed enzyme systems. The clustering analysis using the Dice coefficient showed that most of the studied populations can be considered significantly different from each other. This study proposes a rapid screening strategy for obtaining the electrophoretic profiles of samples and comparing population patterns. Two main of conclusions can be drawn from the results of this work: (1) compared to other molecular techniques and the efficiency and reliability of isoenzyme analyses, this method appears to be a useful tool for a rapid characterisation of samples; (2) in situ observations of populations suggest that conservation status of wild B. oleracea in their natural habitat in Spain can be considered satisfactory.