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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Plant Physiology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #184969
Title: DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROSATELLITE MARKERS IN LESQUERELLA

Author
item Salywon, Andrew
item Dierig, David

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2004
Publication Date: 1/15/2005
Citation: Salywon, A.M., Dierig, D.A. 2005. Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in lesquerella. Agronomy Abstracts. CD-Rom (6420)

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Lesquerella fendleri (Gray) Wats. (Brassicaceae) is being developed as a domestic crop for the production of lesquerolic acid, a hydroxy fatty acid (HFA). HFAs are used in the production of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and a wide variety of industrial products, including lubricants, plastics, surfactants, and protective coatings. Although L. fendleri has many favorable agronomic traits for domestication, its seed oil contains only about 55% HFA compared to several other species in the genus that may contain up to 85% HFA. While much progress has been made using traditional selection methods for increased oil quantity and quality, DNA-based markers should accelerate the time frame of selection and should be useful in precisely identifying trait loci. One of the main goals of our research is to identify genes involved in HFA synthesis and storage in order to increase total HFA content. With this in mind, we have developed over 30 microsatellite markers (including di-, tri- and tetranucleotide repeats) for L. fendleri from an enriched cDNA library. An F2 segregating population of interspecific hybrids of L. fendleri with a high HFA species is being used to develop a genetic map. These SSR markers are the first DNA markers to be developed in our breeding program and the first step toward marker-assisted selection for Lesquerella.