Strategy for the mapping of interactive genes using bulked segregant analysis method and Mapmaker/Exp software

Abstract

A qualitative trait is usually controlled by a single gene, but it may be sometimes controlled by two or even more genes. This phenomenon is called gene interaction. Rapidly searching for linked molecular markers via bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and then constructing regional linkage map with Mapmaker/Exp has become a common approach to mapping single major genes. However, methods and computer programs developed for mapping single major genes cannot be simply applied to interactive genes because the genetic patterns of gene interactions are quite different from that of single-gene inheritance. Up to now, experimental methods for quickly screening molecular markers linked to interactive genes and statistical methods and corresponding computer softwares for simultaneously analyzing the linkage relationships of multiple molecular markers to an interactive gene have not been available. To solve this problem, in this paper, we propose a strategy for mapping interactive genes using BSA and Mapmaker/Exp. We demonstrate that all interactive genes can be mapped by the ‘BSA + Mapmaker/Exp’ strategy using F2 generation (in a few cases, F3 generation is also needed). As BSA and Mapmaker/Exp have been broadly used in gene mapping studies and are well known by many researchers, the strategies proposed in this paper will be useful for practical researches.