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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121217
Title: A HIGH-DENSITY GENETIC MAP OF SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.) MOENCH BASED ON 2926 AFLP, RFLP AND SSR MARKERS

Author
item Menz, Monica
item Klein, Robert - Bob
item MULLET, J - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item OBERT, J - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item UNRUH, N - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item KLEIN, P - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Plant Molecular Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2001
Publication Date: 3/1/2002
Citation: Menz, M.A., Klein, R.R., Mullet, J.E., Obert, J.A., Unruh, N.C., Klein, P.E. 2002. A high-density genetic map of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench based on 2926 AFLP, RFLP and SSR markers. Plant Molecular Biology. 48:483-499.

Interpretive Summary: Major advancements in science hinge on the development of new tools including maps of genes. Genes are tiny packets of genetic blueprint material that are found inside the cells of all plants and animals and control all of the physical characteristics of these organisms. Our work focuses on improving major grain crops and, with a genetic map, landmarks called markers can be found near genes and these landmarks can make improving the plants more efficient. This study details the development of our cost-effective methods to make a detailed map containing nearly 3000 landmark markers. Landmark markers were found in various grasses which makes this map valuable to scientists working on rice, corn, wheat and sorghum. Information will be primarily used by fellow scientists but the work should ultimately result in better adapted, higher producing, and more pest-resistant crop varieties available to American farmers.

Technical Abstract: Using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technology and a recombinant inbred line population of sorghum, a high-density genetic map of the sorghum genome was generated. The map included 2926 genetic markers distributed on ten linkage groups; 2454 of those markers are AFLP genetic markers. Other marker types mapped included 136 microsatellites previously ymapped in sorghum, and 203 cDNA and genomic clones from rice, barley, oat, and maize. This later group of markers have been mapped in various grass species and, as such, can serve as reference markers in comparative mapping. Of the nearly 3000 markers mapped, 692 comprised a high- resolution framework map on which the remaining markers were placed with lower resolution. By comparing the map positions of the common grass markers in all sorghum maps reported to date, it was determined that these reference markers were essentially co-linear in all published maps. In general, the AFLP genetic markers filled most of the gaps left by the othe markers demonstrating that this marker system is effective in providing excellent genome coverage. Finally, we discuss how the information contained in this map is being integrated into a sorghum physical map for use in map-based gene isolation, comparative genome analysis, and as a source of sequence-ready clones for genome.