Development of Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) Markers Linked to the Fertility Restoring Gene for Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Allium fistulosum L. Possessing the Cytoplasm of A. galanthum Kar. et Kir.

Abstract

To develop sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers linked to the fertility restoring gene (Rf) for cytoplasmic male sterility in Allium fistulosum possessing the cytoplasm of A. galanthum, RAPDs were analyzed in the male fertile and male sterile plants of backcross generations between A. galanthum and A. fistulosum. Twenty random decamer primers generated 128 RAPDs between A. galanthum and A. fistulosum. One of them (OPJ15₇₀₀) showed close linkage with the Rf locus ; all the male fertile plants had the OPJ15₇₀₀, whereas almost all male sterile plants did not have this fragment. The RAPD marker OPJ15₇₀₀ was converted into a SCAR marker by molecular cloning and sequence analysis. The SCAR marker OPJ15₇₀₀ is reliable for identifying male fertile and male sterile plants of the backcross generations.