author(s)
ZI Buhroo, NA Ganai, MA Malik, AS Kamili and SA Mir

abstract
In the present study, preserved silkmoths served as samples for DNA extraction. The wings, legs and antennae of moths were cut with sterile scissors before preservation of the samples. The samples were placed in airtight cryovials snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and immediately stored at -80 ⁰C for further use. Genomic DNA was isolated after six months from the frozen silkmoth samples, crushed under liquid nitrogen which yielded high molecular weight DNA. RAPD profile of the isolated DNA revealed high degree of polymorphism. The silkworm strains were analyzed using 6 random primers out of which 5 polymorphic primers gave 61 amplicons. The average amplicons per primer found to be 10.16 and 73.02% amplicons were polymorphic. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard’s similarity coefficients resulted in the formation of two main clusters with SKAU-R-1,CSR18, SH6 and NB4D2 in one cluster and the remaining two genotypes viz., CSR2 and DUN22 in other cluster. Jaccard’s similarity coefficients ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 indicating considerable genetic diversity within bivoltine silkworm groups. Isolated genomic DNA from silkmoths was found suitable to undertake genetic diversity studies using molecular marker approach for identifying diverse genotypes for taking up breeding programs to push up bivoltine silk production