Biochemical characterisation of parthenocarpic gynoecious cucumber lines, hybrids, monoecious varieties and wild relatives

Abstract

To accentuate the field study, biochemical characterization of total fifteen genotypes including four parthenocarpic gynoecoius cucumber lines and their three hybrids indigenously developed at pantnagar, four monoecious varieties (Cucumis sativus L.), three wild relatives (C. sativus var. harwickii) and a backcross [(PCUCP 3 × Poinsette) PCUCP 3] were subjected to seed protein analysis through SDS-PAGE (Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Similar protein banding pattern was observed for C. sativus L. and C. sativus var. hardwickii genotypes. However, specific protein bands B2 (0.31) and B4 (0.35) present in C. sativus var. hardwickii 2316, precisely distinguished this genotype from other genotypes of C. sativus as well as C. sativus var. hardwickii. The presence of three distinct protein bands (A1, B9 and B10) in parthenocarpic gynoecious genotype PCUCP 4 notably differentiated this genotype from all other genotypes used in the study. All four field bred monoecious varieties of cucumber used in the study can be differentiated on the basis of presence or absence of one or other band. On the basis of UPGMA analysis, fifteen genotypes were categorized into two major groups. Cluster one comprised of 11 genotypes while cluster two consisted of 4 genotypes