PAG-II Plant Genome II Conference

Town & Country Conference Center, San Diego, CA, January, 1994.


PG-II: APPLE GENE MAPPING IN NEW ZEALAND

APPLE GENE MAPPING IN NEW ZEALAND

S.E. Gardiner, J.M. Zhu, H.C.M. Whitehead, C. Madie, *M. Lay Yee and *E.H.A. Rikkerink. HortResearch, Batchelar Research Centre, Palmerston North and *Mt Albert Research Centre, Auckland; NEW ZEALAND.


The New Zealand Apple Genome Mapping Programme has been established to aid development of new cultivars by NZ breeders through marker assisted selection and ultimately gene transfer. We aim to develop a linkage map of 10-20cM density, and locate major gene loci and QTLs of agronomic importance on it. Screening of our mapping line of 90 seedlings from a cross between 2 cultivars has given segregation data for more than 140 markers to date (one third RFLPs, two thirds RAPDS). The mapping population segregates for the Vf gene for scab resistance and a number of fruit characters and we have other lines segregating for further major gene characters, particularly for pest and disease resistances. Large populations (>500 plants) from the cultivar breeding programme will be used for QTL analysis. Special populations are being created for the fine mapping leading to isolation of disease resistance genes. We are now developing methodology for generation of an apple YAC library with average DNA inserts greater than 2OOkb and approximately 10,000 clones to cover 3n to 5n apple genomes. We have developed non-radioactive methods for in situ hybridisation of DNA probes to the very small (1-3.5um) chromosomes of apple, and present results on chromosome localisation for three probes related to fruit ripening.


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