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Molecular markers are based on naturally occurring polymorphisms in DNA sequences (i.e.: base pair
deletions, substitutions, additions or patterns). Molecular markers represent one of the most powerful
tools for the analysis of genomes and enable the association of heritable traits with underlying genomic
variation. The current advancement in plant biology research encompassing generation of large number
of molecular-genetic data, development of impressive methodological skills in molecular biology
experimentation, and systems analyses, has set the stage to search for process to utilize the available
resources to strengthen interdisciplinary efforts to find solutions to the challenging goals of plant
breeding and agricultural biotechnology efforts ultimately leading to gainful applications in crop
improvement. The presence of various types of molecular markers, and differences in their principles,
methodologies, and applications require careful consideration. This review article provides detail for
different important molecular marker techniques: restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP),
random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), intersimple
sequence repeats (ISSRs), Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs), single nucleotide polymorphisms
(SNPs), expressed sequence tags (ESTs), and Micro arrays technology. All molecular markers technique
can be used for several different applications including: germplasm characterization, genetic diagnostics,
characterization of transformants, study of genome organization, marker assisted selection (MAS) and
phylogenic analysis.
Keywords: Molecular markers; plant biotechnology; genetic diversity; polymorphism; PCR; AFLP; DNA
markers; Hybridization; ISSR; RAPD; RFLP; SSRs; SNPs; ESTs; genome sequencing.