Albinism in in vitro-propagated date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L. Medjool) using ISSR markers and rbcL gene sequencing
Horticulture and Landscape Gardening Department, College of Agriculture, University of Diyala. Corresponding e-mail: mohammed.daher@uodiyala.edu.iq
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.69
Albinism is a significant physiological and genetic barrier that limits micropropagation efficiency in date palms. This study documented the molecular identity of Medjool date palm vegetative shoots induced from indirect somatic embryos while analyzing the albinism phenomenon observed during propagation. Genetic variation was evaluated using ISSR primers to detect albinism. ISSR investigations revealed nuclear genetic alterations in albino shoots, and certain bands were missing compared with healthy shoots, with a reported genetic distance of 39.39%. The molecular study was carried out using PCR amplification and nucleotide sequencing of the rbcL gene. Results showed a positive band at approximately 529 bp (BLAST alignment length) with a 100% match to the genetic reference (MG437548.1), confirming that no sequence variation was detected in the amplified rbcL region. The results suggest that albinism may be associated with nuclear genomic variation affecting plastid differentiation, but this requires confirmation through nuclear gene expression, plastome-wide sequencing, chlorophyll analysis, and chloroplast ultrastructure studies, or nuclear mutations affecting plastid differentiation under high hormonal conditions.
