Genetic and biochemical differentiation in Vitis vinifera (Kabarcik) populations grown at different altitudes in Coruh Valley

We examined genetic differences of four Vitis vinifera populations (A, B, C, D) including local Kabarcik cultivar grown along an altitude gradient of 800, 900, 1000, and 1150 m above sea level in the Coruh Valley (800 m: A population; 900 m: B population; 1000 m: C population; 1150 m: D population). Leaf samples were used for both RAPD and fatty acid analysis. A total of 60 individuals with 15 individuals per population were included in this study. RAPD analyses showed various band sizes, which ranged from 250 to 3000 bp. Mean polymorphic locus ratios were determined as 96.29% considering four populations. The highest percentage of polymorphic loci (97.8%) was produced by the highest altitude. Thirty-two different fatty acids were found; linoleic acid was the most common in all four populations. According to the dendograms obtained from statistical analyses of RAPD and fatty acid profiles the populations that were close to each other in terms of geographical distance also were similar genetically.