ISHS Acta Horticulturae 508: XIX International Symposium on Improvement of Ornamental Plants
MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR ORNAMENTAL BREEDING |
| Author: | P. Arús |
| Abstract:
Ornamental plants include a heterogeneous and numerous group of species with different reproducing systems, although mainly vegetatively propagated. The majority of them, including the most important cut flowers and potted plants are almost unknown at the genetic level. Molecular markers have been developed for most ornamentals to a limited extent when compared to the main food crops. Applications have been essentially studies of cultivar identification, pedigree analysis or germplasm variability using isozyme or RAPD markers. The effectiveness of different kinds of markers for its application in plant breeding is analysed in this paper. Different strategies for finding molecular markers linked to genes of interest are also discussed. The classical approach is based on the construction of detailed marker linkage maps. Gene tagging can also be done with simpler strategies like bulked segregant analysis. A high level of synteny between related species has been found by comparative mapping. Markers tightly linked to genes of interest in one species can sometimes be used for homologous gene tagging in others. Conservation of the DNA sequence of genes with similar function across wide ranges of species is one of the results of genome sequencing programmes. Sequence information in one species can also be used for the development of markers for genes of interest in other species. These results open new avenues for the development of useful markers for crops, like the ornamentals, where the research investment is a limitation. | |
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