PCR-based markers for detection of different sources of 1AL.1RS and 1BL.1RS wheat–rye translocations in wheat background

The rye ( Secale cereale L.) chromosome arm 1RS is one of the most successfully used alien resources in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) improvement, and it is still being widely utilized by many breeding programmes. With increasing application of marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding, development of an efficient molecular marker system to monitor and track 1AL.1RS and 1BL.1RS wheat–rye translocations is of practical value. In this study, we systematically evaluated the utility of eight rye-specific molecular markers in detecting 1RS chromatins with different origins in diverse wheat genetic backgrounds. Two such markers, PAWS5/S6 and SCM9 were identified that were able to differentiate multiple sources of wheat–rye translocations involving 1RS. A duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was developed with two rye-specific markers PAWS5/S6 and RIS and tested in a set of representative wheat lines. The two rye-specific markers and the duplex PCR procedure established in this study provided a useful tool in marker-assisted selection of materials containing desirable 1RS chromatin in wheat breeding.