Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) as a source of genetic markers for red algae

A recent PCR-based fingerprinting technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), was successfully applied to the red alga Chondrus crispus Stackh. This is apparently the first account to describe the application of AFLP methodology to an alga. Six isolates of C. crispus were analyzed by AFLP. A total of twenty-five primer pairs were screened and six primer pairs were selected for further investigation. Both conservative and variable markers were identified within and between populations; some markers were unique to individuals. As such, AFLP should prove useful as a source of genetic markers in algae for applications as diverse as genome mapping to population genetic investigations.