Plant & Animal Genome IX Conference

Workshop: Brassicas
W41

MOLECULAR CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF BRASSICA GENOMES

Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Institute for Crop Science and Plant Breeding, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392 Giessen, Germany

The molecular cytogenetic technique of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), which enables the direct chromosomal localisation of labelled DNA probes, has been increasingly applied to plant genome research and molecular breeding in recent years. We have developed FISH methods for the accurate localisation of repetitive DNA sequences at chromosomal sub-arm level in Brassica species, allowing more reliable chromosome identification and giving new information on genome structure and evolution. In addition we apply genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) for identification and characterisation of parental genome components in oilseed rape (B. napus) hybrids. High-resolution FISH can provide information about ordering and physical distances between molecular markers, both important considerations for physical mapping and positional cloning. Practical applications of FISH and GISH in rapeseed breeding will be presented.