ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC STABILITY OF MICROPROPAGATED Eucalyptus globulus Labill HYBRID CLONES BY MEANS OF FLOW CYTOMETRY AND MICROSATELLITES MARKERS

ABSTRACT Flow cytometry and microsatellite markers were used to determine a genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants from the two Eucalyptus urophylla x E. globulus clones and a Eucalyptus grandis x E. globulus clone derived from adult material. Clones were repeatedly subcultured for 25 subcultures on MS medium supplemented with BA (2.22 µM) and ANA (0.05 µM) for in vitro shoot multiplication. The elongation was performed in MS culture medium supplemented with AIB (2.46 µM) and BA(0.22 µM). The ex vitro rooting and acclimatization phases were lead at the same time. The micropropagated clones showed genetic stability by flow cytometry and microsatellite markers. The results proved that micropropagation, for purposes of rejuvenation, can be a viable technique to generate genetically stable or identical E. globulus hybrid clones.