[Hordein polymorphism in barley varieties fom North Africa]

Using starch gel electrophoresis, we examined polymorphism of hordein encoded by loci Hrd A, Hrd B, and Hrd F in 77 accessions of local barley varieties from North African countries (9 from Marocco, 22 from Algeria, 7 from Tunisia, and 39 from Egypt). For loci Hrd A, Hrd B, and Hrd F, respectively 35, 43, and 5 alleles were found. The existence of families of blocks of hordein components encoded by Hrd A and Hrd B was demonstrated. The estimation of genetic distances and cluster analysis showed similarity of barley populations from different North African countries with regard to alleles of the hordein-coding loci. We suggest that polymorphism at the hordein-coding loci in the populations examined has been mainly formed beyond North Africa, where barley has been repeatedly introduced. Apparently, the examined populations from Ethiopia and Egypt are not directly associated.