ARS | Publication request: Genetic Mapping for the Rf1 (Fertility Restoration) Gene in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by SSR and TRAP Markers

Submitted to: Plant Breeding
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: March 4, 2009
Publication Date: January 1, 2010
Repository URL: http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/catalog/45534
Citation: Yue, B., Vick, B.A., Cai, X., Hu, J. 2010. Genetic Mapping for the Rf1 (Fertility Restoration) Gene in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by SSR and TRAP Markers. Plant Breeding. 129:24-28.

Interpretive Summary: Commercial sunflower production is almost 100% F1 hybrid based on the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) identified in the wide species, Helianthus petiolaris. The male fertility can be restored by fertility restoration (Rf) genes. Although different inheritance pattern (one to four dominant Rf genes) were reported for the fertility restoration, two dominant nuclear genes, Rf1 and Rf2, are necessary to restore male fertility in most sunflower hybrids. During a field test of a segregating population derived from two U.S. sunflower inbred lines, cms HA 441 and RHA 439, we observed a peculiar genetic behavior of the fertility restoration, which deviated significantly from the expected mono- or digenic ratio. Further analyses revealed that two linked dominant genes are involved in fertility restoration in the original cross. A simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and sequence tagged site (STS) marker were developed for one of the RF genes, which will be useful for marker-assisted selection in sunflower breeding.

Technical Abstract: The Rf1 gene in sunflower can effectively restore the pollen fertility of PET1 cytoplasm in male sterile lines and has been widely used in commercial hybrid production. Identifying molecular markers tightly linked to this gene will be useful in marker-assisted selection to develop maintainer and restorer lines. Rf1 has been mapped to Linkage Group 13 of the public sunflower SSR (simple sequence repeat) map by aligned maps constructed from another population and only one SSR marker was reported to be loosely linked to Rf1. This paper reports the result of applying TRAP (target region amplification polymorphism) and SSR markers to map and develop a STS (sequence-tagged site) marker tightly linked to Rf1 using two populations derived from a cross between two U.S. public sunflower lines, RHA 439 and cms HA 441. A SSR marker, ORS511, was 3.7 cM from the Rf1 gene and a TRAP marker, K11F05Sa12-160, was linked to Rf1 at a distance of 0.4 cM. This TRAP marker was converted to a STS marker for using in sunflower.