The use of RDA (Representational difference analysis) to isolate genomic differences in somaclonal variation of banana.

Somaclonal variation is genetic variation which is observed through the regeneration of cultured somatic cells that usually results in cultured types that was reduced the commercial value during the micropropagation of the valuable elite clones. However, the hypothesis stated that the RDA product between normal and somaclonal variation clones of banana contains the genetic variability that can cause different phenotypic variation between the clones. The main purpose of this research is to isolate the unique fragments of DNA between somaclonal and normal banana. The study was conducted by using the nonnal and somaclonal banana of Musa acuminata (Pisang Berangan). Both normal and somaclonal banana had been hybridized and the unique fragment of DNA was isolated. The primers used in this protocol consist of two oligomers, a short strand and a long strand (l2-mer and 24-mer adaptor). RDA successfully isolated few DNA fragments from the normal banana in reaction where the normal banana becomes the tester and the somaclonal banana becomes the driver, but result obtained when vice versa. From the identification, the sequence of genes from the genetic variation can be detennined for the enhancement of the cultured banana.