SDS-Page based seed protein profiling and diversity assessment of indigenous genotypes of ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.)

Genetic diversity through SDS-PAGE was assessed among the 28 monoecious and 14 hermaphrodite lines of ridge gourd, collected from different parts of the country. A total of 14 protein bands could be resolved which distributed in 3 zones namely zone A (6 bands) with Rf value from 0.13 to 0.31, Zone B (5 bands) with Rf value from 0.54 to 0.78, and zone C (3 bands) with Rf value from 0.82 to 0.92. Most of the protein bands were found in all the genotypes but a specific protein band C₂with 0.85 Rf value was absent in genotype PCPGR-7267 (monoecious) and another specific protein band B₅ with 0.78 Rf value was absent in genotype PCPGR-7247 (hermaphrodite). Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) analysis generated by SDS-PAGE based on genetic distance of genotypes displayed dendogram grouped the genotypes initially into one major cluster I and one independent genotype PCPGR-7267 with 65% similarity and further major cluster divided into sub-cluster to super small sub-sub clusters. The genotypes are grouped irrespective of their morphological distinctiveness indicating similarity between monoecious and hermaphrodite lines of ridge gourd at genotypic level in contrary that one monoecious genotype namely PCPGR-7267 and one hermaphrodite genotype namely PCPGR-7247 grouped into different cluster. Thus, genotypes which were found diverse may be included in ridge gourd future breeding programme to develop high yielding cultivars.