Identification of AFLP and SCAR markers linked to the male fertility restorer gene of <Emphasis Type="Italic">pol</Emphasis> CMS (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.)

The pol cytoplasmic male-sterility system has been widely used as a component for utilization of heterosis in Brassica napus and offers an attractive system for study on nuclear–mitochondrial interactions in plants. Genetic analyses have indicated that one dominant gene, Rfp, was required to achieve complete fertility restoration. As a first step toward cloning of this restorer gene, we attempted molecular mapping of the Rfp locus using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique combined with bulked segregant analysis (BSA) method. A BC₁ population segregating for Rfp gene was used for tagging. From the survey of 1,024 AFLP primer combinations, 13 linked AFLP markers were obtained and five of them were successfully converted into sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. A population of 193 plants was screened using these markers and the closest AFLP markers flanking Rfp were at the distances of 2.0 and 5.3 cM away, respectively. Further the AFLP or SCAR markers linked to the Rfp gene were integrated to one doubled-haploid (DH) population derived from the cross Quantum × No.2127-17 available in our laboratory, and Rfp gene was mapped on N18, which was the same as the previous report. These molecular markers will facilitate the marker-assisted selection (MAS) of pol CMS restorer lines.