Segregation Distortion of T-DNA Markers Linked to the Self-Incompatibility (S) Locus in Petunia hybrida

Corresponding author: Timothy P. Robbins, Plant Science Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, United Kingdom., tim.robbins{at}nottingham.ac.uk (E-mail)

Communicating editor: V. SUNDARESAN

In plants with a gametophytic self-incompatibility system the specificity of the pollen is determined by the haploid genotype at the self-incompatibility (S) locus. In certain crosses this can lead to the exclusion of half the gametes from the male parent carrying a particular S-allele. This leads to pronounced segregation distortion for any genetic markers that are linked to the S-locus. We have used this approach to identify T-DNA insertions carrying a maize transposable element that are linked to the S-locus of Petunia hybrida. A total of 83 T-DNA insertions were tested for segregation distortion of the selectable marker used during transformation with Agrobacterium. Segregation distortion was observed for 12 T-DNA insertions and at least 8 of these were shown to be in the same linkage group by intercrossing. This indicates that differential transmission of a single locus (S) is probably responsible for all of these examples of T-DNA segregation distortion. The identification of selectable markers in coupling with a functional S-allele will allow the preselection of recombination events around the S-locus in petunia. Our approach provides a general method for identifying transgenes that are linked to gametophytic self-incompatibility loci and provides an opportunity for transposon tagging of the petunia S-locus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Qiao, F. Wang, L. Zhao, J. Zhou, Z. Lai, Y. Zhang, T. P. Robbins, and Y. Xue The F-Box Protein AhSLF-S2 Controls the Pollen Function of S-RNase-Based Self-Incompatibility PLANT CELL, September 1, 2004; 16(9): 2307 - 2322. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Wang, X. Wang, A. L. Skirpan, and T.-h. Kao S-RNase-mediated self-incompatibility J. Exp. Bot., January 1, 2003; 54(380): 115 - 122. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]