Universal Rice Primers Research Articles

Diversity Analysis of Common Vetch (Vicia Sativa L.) Lines and Cultivars Using Pairwise Combinations of Universal Rice Primers

This study has been conducted to determine genetic diversity of the common vetch lines and cultivars by using pairwise combinations of universal rice primers (URPs). A total number of 37 URP marker pairs were tested and twenty of those provided amplicons in the common vetch genome. The pairs of amplified URP markers provided a total of 83 bands and 62 of them were determined as polymorphic and were scattered to the whole genome. The average polymorphism rate of the primers was calculated as 73.5% while the polymorphism information content (PIC) values have ranged from 0.11 to 0.47 with an average of 0.24. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on UPGMA analysis provided three main clades. Two-dimensional plot of PCA and the UPGMA analysis showed that the URP markers successfully distinguished the genetic material based on their genetic origin. In conclusion, this study revealed that the use of pairwise combinations of URP markers could have a better power to reveal the level of polymorphism in plant genome.

Genetic Diversity of Trichoderma harzianum Isolates in Sunflower Rhizosphere: The Application of the URP Molecular Marker

The genetic diversity of 77 Trichoderma harzianum isolates collected from sunflower rhizosphere soils in Urmia, Khoy, and Salmas in West Azerbaijan province, Iran, was evaluated by using the Universal Rice Primer (URP) molecular marker. The DNA band pattern of the isolates was developed using seven primers of this marker. These primers produced 186 gene loci, out of which 182 loci were polymorphic. Accordingly, the genetic diversity of the isolates was calculated, and their kinship relations were determined by cluster analysis using the NTSYS software package. URP-6R had the highest marker index among the studied primers, followed by URP-1F, URP-4R, and URP-25F, implying their higher efficiency in discriminating between the isolates. The results showed that the URP marker could discriminate between isolates using macroscopic morphological characteristics, such as color and colony type, potential of pigment production in the culture medium, and colony growth rate. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the geographical distribution of the isolates and the band patterns generated by the primers except for a few cases. The results generally revealed that the URP marker was an efficient tool for determining the genetic diversity of T. harzianum.

Phenotypic variability, race profiling and molecular diversity analysis of Indian populations of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis causing lentil wilt.

Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis; Fol) is one of the major diseases of lentil worldwide. Two hundred and thirty-five isolates of the pathogen collected from 8 states of India showed substantial variations in morphological characters such as colony texture and pattern, pigmentation and growth rate. The isolates were grouped as slow (47 isolates), medium (118 isolates) and fast (70 isolates) growing. The macroconidia and microconidia (3.0-77.5 × 1.3-8.8 µm for macroconidia and 1.8-22.5 × 0.8-8.0 µm for microconidia for length × width) were variable in size and considering the morphological features, the populations were grouped into 12 categories. Seventy representative isolates based on their morphological variability and place of origin were selected for further study. A set of 10 differential genotypes was identified for virulence analysis and based on virulence patterns on these 10 genotypes, 70 Fol isolates were grouped into 7 races. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), universal rice primers (URPs), inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) were used for genetic diversity analysis. URPs, ISSR and SRAP markers gave 100% polymorphism while RAPD gave 98.9% polymorphism. The isolates were grouped into seven clusters at genetic similarities ranging from 21 to 80% using unweighted paired group method with arithmetic average analysis. The major clusters include the populations from northern and central regions of India in distinct groups. All these three markers proved suitable for diversity analysis, but their combined use was better to resolve the area specific grouping of the isolates. The sequences of rDNA ITS and TEF-1α genes of the representative isolates were analysed. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS region grouped the isolates into two major clades representing various races. In TEF-1α analysis, the isolates were grouped into two major clades with 28 isolates into one clade and 4 remaining isolates in another clade. The molecular groups partially correspond to the lentil growing regions of the isolates and races of the pathogen.

Genetic diversity analysis in a mini core collection of Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) germplasm from Iran using URP and SCoT markers

BackgroundRosa damascena Mill is a well-known species of the rose family. It is famous for its essential oil content. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of a mini core collection of the Iranian Damask rose germplasm. This involved the use of universal rice primers (URP) and start codon targeted (SCoT) molecular markers. ResultsFourteen URP and twelve SCoT primers amplified 268 and 216 loci, with an average of 19.21 and 18.18 polymorphic fragments per primer, respectively. The polymorphic information content for URR and SCoT primers ranged from 0.38 to 0.48 and 0.11 to 0.45, with the resolving power ranging from 8.75 to 13.05 and 9.9 to 14.59, respectively. Clustering was based on neighbor-joining (NJ). The mini core collection contained 40 accessions and was divided into three distinct clusters, centered on both markers and on the combination of data. ConclusionCluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis were consistent with genetic relationships derived by STRUCTURE analysis. The findings showed that patterns of grouping did not correlate with geographical origin. Both molecular markers demonstrated that the accessions were not genetically diverse as expected, thereby highlighting the possibility that gene flow occurred between populations.

Diversity assessment of indigenous and exotic Diaporthe species associated with various crops using ISSR, URP and SRAP markers

Genetic diversity among the isolates representing five Diaporthe (syn: Phomopsis) species isolated from seeds of various crops representing both exotic as well as indigenous collections from India was analyzed using molecular markers, viz., inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR), universal rice primers (URP) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP). The isolates of Diaporthe showed differences among themselves by clustering distinctly which otherwise could not be distinguished with morphological characterization. The total number of polymorphic alleles was 323 with a range of 0.1–3.4 kb in ISSR, 293 with a range of 0.08–3.4 kb in URP and 293 with a range of 0.08–3.4 kb in SRAP. Genetic diversity determining parameters like polymorphic information content, expected heterozygosity, Shannon’s information index, effective multiplex ratio, and marker index was highest in URP markers. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis clustered the isolates into 2 major groups at 61% genetic similarity during combined analysis using these three sets of markers. Among molecular markers, URP markers showed superiority in detecting genetic diversity by differentiating both domestic and exotic isolates representing various species of Diaporthe. Exotic isolates of D. phaseolorum collected from jatropha showed the highest similarity whereas, indigenous isolates of D. phaseolorum isolated from soybean showed the highest level of variation. The isolates did not correspond to agro-ecological regions and the crop origin. This will be helpful in developing species-specific primers for detection of Diaporthe species.

Assessment of Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & D. R. Dewey accessions using universal rice primers and molecular cytogenetics

The aim of this study was to make morphological and molecular characterization of tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) accessions naturally found in Canakkale flora, Turkey. The seeds collected from 24 different locations in Canakkale vicinity were planted in the nursery field to determine thirteen morphological parameters. Twelve universal rice primers (URPs) were used to reveal genetic relationship among the accessions while ploidy analysis was done based on the nuclear DNA content of plants determined by Flow cytometer. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was used to determine 5S and 45S rDNA distributions on mitotic chromosomes. The agro-morphological data showed significant variation among the accessions for all parameters measured, except the number of nodes per plant. Twelve URP primers produced 73 alleles in total and 63 of those were polymorphic. The highest polymorphism information content value was obtained from URP 17R with 0.82. The first three components of Eigen values in PCA analysis explained 41.1% of total variation. The 2C nuclear DNA contents of the accessions ranged from 41.17 to 45.49 pg. All the accessions were determined as decaploid with 2n = 70 chromosomes. FISH analysis provided 18–20 interstial 5S rDNA and 12–14 terminal 45S rDNA loci. The results concluded that tall wheatgrass accessions used in this study contain a significant variation in morphological traits and PCR-based DNA polymorphism which could be used as a new genetic resource in breeding programs of tall wheatgrass and wheat improvement for intra- and intergeneric crosses.

Population structure of Rhizoctonia solani inciting sheath blight of rice in Haryana, India

Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn inciting sheath blight is known to cause substantial quantitative and qualitative losses in rice. Sixty six isolates of R. solani representing different agro-ecological regions of Haryana were classified based on their cultural and morphological, pathogenic and genetic traits. R. solani isolates were found highly variable both in mycelial and sclerotial characters. The mean vertical disease spread caused by R. solani isolates on five rice cultivars viz. Tetep, IR 64, Pusa Basmati 1, Govind and HKR 127 varied between 24.67 and 57.25% and the fungal isolates formed three clusters based on their pathogenic behaviour. Inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and Universal rice primers (URPs) were used to study the population structure of R. solani isolates. The Nei’s diversity (h), Shannon’s diversity index (I) and percentage of polymorphic loci (P%) were observed to be 0.2761, 0.4301 and 100%, respectively at the population level. Genetic variation was maintained within the populations as reflected by the higher gene flow (Nm = 4.5997). Agro-ecological regions contributed to 6% of the total genetic variation, whereas the major proportion of genetic variation (89%) was attributed to the differences within populations and only 5% among populations.

Genetic diversity studies based on morpho-pathological and molecular variability of the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum population infecting potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

White mould or stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is a devastating fungal disease found in major potato cultivation areas worldwide. The aim of this study was to characterize genetic diversity in the S. sclerotiorum population from the main potato producing regions of India by means of morphological (mycelial growth, colony colour, number and distribution pattern of sclerotia) and molecular characteristics, as well as to evaluate the virulence of S. sclerotiorum isolates in potato for the first time. Among the S. sclerotiorum population analyzed, high phenotypic and genotypic diversity were observed. Using all the morphological characteristics, a dendrogram was constructed based on Gower's similarity coefficient that distributed all the isolates into three clusters at the 0.62 similarity coefficient. Carpogenic germination of apothecia revealed that larger sclerotia produced a greater number of apothecia while smaller sclerotia produced fewer apothecia. Pathogenicity test results revealed that out of 25 isolates, seven were highly aggressive, 14 were moderate and four had low aggressiveness, whilst isolates from Punjab were more pathogenic than those of Uttar Pradesh. Phylogenetic analysis of universal rice primer polymorphism showed high genetic variability within the isolates that grouped all the isolates in three evolutionary lineages in the resulting dendrogram and showed partial relationship with geographical locations of the isolates. Further, the findings suggest the occurrence of higher heterogeneity and genetic diversity among the S. sclerotiorum isolates that indicates the existence of both clonal and sexual reproduction in the pathogen population of potato producing areas in India.

Pathogenicity variation and DNA polymorphism ofBipolaris sorokinianainfecting winter wheat in the Huanghuai floodplain of China

AbstractWheat root rot, caused byBipolaris sorokiniana, has led to severe losses of wheat products worldwide. To evaluate the pathogenicity and genetic variation ofB.sorokiniana, diseased wheat samples were collected from 97 locations in the Huanghuai floodplain of China in 2014 and 2015 for analysis. A total of 673 isolates were obtained, 262 of which were identified asB.sorokiniana. Pathogenicity analysis of the isolates revealed variation in pathogenicity, which was not directly correlated with geographic region. Large variations in pathogenicity were also found within geographic groups. To determine the genetic structure of the populations, PCR was performed with universal rice primers (URP). Cluster analysis based on amplification patterns showed that the classified groups were correlated with geographical regions. Thus, analysis of the genetic diversity of the population indicated a negative correlation with geographic origin, that is, the greater the distance between sites, the lower the genetic variation similarity coefficient. Identification of wheat germplasm resistance showed that resistant cultivars accounted for a low percentage, while susceptible and highly susceptible cultivars were in the majority. Overall, these results are meaningful for developing strategies to prevent and control wheat root rot.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Fusarium fujikuroi causing Bakanae, an emerging disease of rice in India

Bakanae caused by Fusarium fujikuroi (Nirenberg), is emerging as a serious threat for rice (Oryza sativa. L.) cultivation in India. In this study, 63 isolates of Fusarium fujikuroi isolated from symptomatic diseased plants were characterized for their morphology, pathogenicity and molecular variability using universal rice primers (URP). Of the 12 URPs used in the study, 6 primers could produce polymorphic fragments in all the isolates. The URP 17R primer was highly polymorphic (100%), whereas, the URP 1F primer produced 75% polymorphic fragments. A dendrogram obtained from the combined analysis of 6 URP primers categorized the isolates into four clusters, where most of the isolates from Punjab and Haryana were clustered separately. Mating type of the population was identified based on MAT-1 and MAT-2 region universal primers for Gibberella fujikuroi. Among the 63 isolates, 18 (28.57%) were identified as MAT-1 and 45 (71.42%) as MAT-2. The effective population number for mating type was 89% of the total population. Since the distribution frequencies of both mating types were not equal in the Indian population of F. fujikuroi, it could conclude that majority of the multiplication of isolates under field conditions was through asexual reproduction. However, the presence of both mating types in F. fujikuroi indicates that the population is also capable of sexual reproduction. Therefore, it is important to develop cultivars with inbuilt resistance to bakanae disease, taking into consideration the factors such as environmental conditions and variability of the pathogen in the area of intended cultivation.

PCR FINGERPRINTING OF DIVERSE GENOMES FROM BACTERIAL STRAINS USING UNIVERSAL RICE PRIMER (URP)

Twenty primers of 20 mer referred to universal rice primer (URP) were developed from a repetitive sequence of rice genome. URP-PCR protocol employed stringent PCR with high annealing temperature throughout the thermo-cycling reaction, giving high reproducibility. Under the PCR condition, each single URP primer produced characteristic fingerprints from diverse genomes of bacterial species. The universal application of URP-PCR was demonstrated by applying it to 24 strains from Pectobacterium carotovoum subsp. carotovorum, 41 Agrobacterium vitis strains, 3 Xanthomonas spp. 5 Pseudomonas spp, Rhizobium sp. plant pathogenic bacteria, human and animal pathogenic bacterial strains including 6 Escherichia coli, 4 Salmonella spp., 7 Mycobacterium spp and 3 Blucella abortus strains. In addition, thermophilic bacteria were randomly isolated form high temperature compost and their URP-PCR polymorphisms were characterized with genetic relatedness. PCR approach using URP primers will be useful for studying DNA diversity of diverse prokaryotic genomes, especially at inter- and intra species levels.

ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC COMPONENTS AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SIX EGYPTIAN CLOVER (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) GENOTYPES USING ISSR AND URP MARKERS

Six Egyptian clover genotypes, i.e., Helaly, Sakha 4, Gemmeiza 1, Serw1, Giza6 and Sakha composite were used in this study. Data was calculated on four cuts and seasonal yield for fresh and dry forage yield. The results indicated that the mean square values were highly significant for genotypes for all studied traits. Helaly cultivar gave the highest values in four cuts and seasonal yield for fresh forage yield. High heritability values were recorded for all studied traits except 1st fresh yield which recorded moderate value. Phenotypic coefficient of variability (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variability (GCV) in all cuts and seasonal yields. Genetic variations among the six Egyptian clover cultivars were evaluated using universal rice primers (URP) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. URP fingerprinting detected more polymorphic loci (90%) than the ISSR fingerprinting (77.55%). Mean PIC (polymorphism information content) and band informativness (Ib) for each of these marker systems were (0.21, 0.26 for ISSR and 0.32, 0.46 for URP) respectively, suggested that URP marker systems were effective than ISSR in determining polymorphisms. Pairwise similarity index values ranged from 0.37 to 0.72 for ISSR, 0.23 to 0.62 for URP and 0.29 to 0.65 for combined ISSRs and URP indicated the genetic distinctness among the studied genotypes.

Molecular, morphological and pathogenic diversity of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolates from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) fields in Argentina

White mould, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most threatening fungal diseases occurring across major bean production regions worldwide. In Argentina, under favourable weather conditions, up to 100% seed yield losses occur on susceptible common bean cultivars. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of S. sclerotiorum isolates from six dry bean fields in the main production area of Argentina by means of molecular, morphological (mycelium colour, number and pattern of sclerotia distribution) and pathogenic approaches. Among 116 isolates analysed, high genotypic and morphological variability was observed. A total of 52 mycelial compatibility groups (MCGs) and 59 URPs (universal rice primers) molecular haplotypes were found. All the MCGs were location specific, while only 12% of the URP haplotypes were shared among locations. The molecular analysis of variance revealed a significant differentiation among populations, with higher genetic variability within the populations analysed than among them. The aggressiveness of the isolates towards bean seedlings was assessed in the greenhouse. Most of the isolates were highly aggressive, while no variation among locations was observed. The information generated in the present study provides, for the first time, information on the variability of S. sclerotiorum associated with white mould in the main common bean production area in Argentina. In addition, the findings suggest the occurrence of both clonal and sexual reproduction in the populations analysed. This work contributes to the development of sustainable management strategies in bean production aimed to minimize yield losses due to white mould.

Efficacy of URP and ISSR markers to determine diversity of indigenous and exotic isolates of Curvularia lunata

The efficacy of universal rice primer (URP) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers was assessed in genetic diversity analysis among ten diverse isolates of Curvularia lunata. The parameters like percentage polymorphism (PP), polymorphism information content (PIC), expected heterozygosity (He), resolution power (RP), Shannon’s information index (I), effective multiplex ratio (EMR), marker index (MI) and cophenetic matrix were used in the study. The PIC, PP, He, RP and I values were nearly identical for both marker systems while, EMR, MI and cophenetic correlation coefficient were found to be higher in ISSR than URP marker system. Based on these parameters, ISSR markers were proved to be more efficient than URP markers in diversity analysis of C. lunata. Combined markers based dendrogram, grouped all the isolates of C. lunata into six clusters. Indigenous isolates except one form one cluster while most of the exotic isolates form separate clusters based on their geographical regions. The combine analysis of URP and SRAP markers showed high cophenetic correlation coefficient (r = 0.942), which indicated that combined markers analysis is giving better results for genetic diversity study.

DNA fingerprinting in African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) genotypes using ISSR and URP markers

Genetic diversity of 22 marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) genotypes was evaluated with Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) and Universal Rice Primers (URP) markers. A total of 31 molecular markers comprising of 19ISSR and 12 URP markers were utilized for the study. A total of 184 amplicons were amplified using 19 ISSR primers, out of which 171 (92.73%) were polymorphic. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.23 to 0.47 with an average of 0.34. The resolving power (RP) ranged from 7.00 to 16.00 with average of 11.20. The marker index (MI) ranged from 0.77 to 4.83 with an average of 2.93. In case of URP markers, a total of 131amplicons were amplified of which 122 (93.08%) were polymorphic with 12 URP primers. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.17 to 0.39 with an average of 0.32. The resolving power (RP) rangedfrom 8.82 to 22.45 with average of 13.75. The marker index (MI) ranged from 0.55 to 5.87 with an average of 3.17. The Jaccard's similarity coefficient ranged from 0.33 to 0.81 in ISSR markers and 0.33 to 0.86 for URP markers which suggests a wide range of genetic divergence for marigold genotypes. UPGMA method was used for cluster analysis which categorised 22 genotypes in two main clusters at 0.44 similarity coefficient in both ISSR and URP markers. The two male sterile lines formed a distinct group as confirmed through both the marker systems.

A new multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for simultaneous detection of five soil-borne fungal pathogens in winter wheat

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is often coinfected by several soil-borne fungal pathogens, causing serious crop yield and economic losses. Rapid diagnosis of infected fungi is critical for the application of disease control mechanisms. Therefore, we established a multiplex PCR method using specific primers for the simultaneous detection of five common soil-borne fungal pathogens affecting wheat: Rhizoctonia cerealis, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, Fusarium pseudograminearum and F. graminearum. The specific primers were designed based on the sequences of several unique genes: ITS (internal transcribed spacer) of R. cerealis, URP-1F (universal rice primer) of B. sorokiniana, β-tubulin of G. graminis var. tritici and TEF1-α (translation elongation factor) of F. pseudograminearum and F. graminearum. During optimization, sensitivity assays showed that the detection limit of multiplex PCR was as low as 0.39 ng of mycelium DNA from a known pool of fungal DNA. To detect pathogens in wheat field, the multiplex PCR method was applied to infected wheat samples collected from wheat fields in the Fengqiu and Taikang counties in Henan Province, China. The R. cerealis and F. graminearum pathogens were identified in samples from Fengqiu, while the R. cerealis, G. graminis var. tritici, B. sorokiniana and F. graminearum pathogens were identified in samples from Taikang. In conclusion, the results indicated that our multiplex PCR method was efficient and specific for the detection of soil-borne pathogens.

The value of small habitat islands for the conservation of genetic variability in a steppe grass species

The habitat loss and fragmentation due to agricultural land-conversion affected the steppe throughout its range. In Ukraine, 95% of steppe was destroyed in the last two centuries. Remaining populations are confined to few refuges, like nature reserves, loess ravines, and kurgans (small burial mounds), the latter being often subject to destruction by archeological excavations.Stipa capillata L. is a typical grass species of Eurasian steppes and extrazonal dry grasslands, that was previously used as a model species in studies on steppe ecology. The aim of our research was to assess genetic diversity of S. capillata populations within different types of steppe refuges (loess ravines, biosphere reserve, kurgan) and to evaluate the value of the latter group for the preservation of genetic diversity in the study species.We assessed genetic diversity of 266 individuals from 15 populations (nine from kurgans, three from loess ravines and three from Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve) with eight Universal Rice Primers (URPs).Studied populations showed high intra-population variability (I: 0.262–0.419, PPB: 52.08–82.64%). Populations from kurgans showed higher genetic differentiation (ΦST = 0.247) than those from loess ravines (ΦST = 0.120) and the biosphere reserve (ΦST = 0.142). Although the diversity metrics were to a small extent lower for populations from kurgans than from larger refugia we conclude that all studied populations of the species still preserve high genetic variability and are valuable for protection. To what extent this pattern holds true under continuous fragmentation in the future must be carefully monitored.

Genetic Confirmation of Mungbean (Vigna radiata) and Mashbean (Vigna mungo) Interspecific Recombinants using Molecular Markers.

Molecular confirmation of interspecific recombinants is essential to overcome the issues like self-pollination, environmental influence, and inadequacy of morphological characteristics during interspecific hybridization. The present study was conducted for genetic confirmation of mungbean (female) and mashbean (male) interspecific crosses using molecular markers. Initially, polymorphic random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), universal rice primers (URP), and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers differentiating parent genotypes were identified. Recombination in hybrids was confirmed using these polymorphic DNA markers. The NM 2006 × Mash 88 was most successful interspecific cross. Most of true recombinants confirmed by molecular markers were from this cross combination. SSR markers were efficient in detecting genetic variability and recombination with reference to specific chromosomes and particular loci. SSR (RIS) and RAPD identified variability dispersed throughout the genome. In conclusion, DNA based marker assisted selection (MAS) efficiently confirmed the interspecific recombinants. The results provided evidence that MAS can enhance the authenticity of selection in mungbean improvement program.

Discrimination of the Genus Leontopodium Species (Gentianales: Asteraceae) Based on RAPD

Abstract Korean L. leiolepis of the genus Leontopodium could be discriminate from the foreign L. alpinum using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Among the 12 URP markers used for the detection, the URP-5 marker and the URP-7 marker detected polymorphic DNA bands, ranging from 400-1000 bp in the size of amplified DNA fragments.Key Words: Leontopodium, RAPD, universal rice primer (URP), Leontopodium leiolepis Received: December 26, 2014. Revised: February 6, 2015. Accepte d: February 6, 2015.Corresponding author: Ji Young KimCollege of Forest and Environmental Science, Kangwon National U niversity, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of KoreaTel: 82-33-257-8367, Fax: 82-33-259-5620, E-mail: emos1034@gmai l.com Introduction The genus Leontopodium belongs to the family Asteraceae (the daisy or sunflower family) and comprises approx-imately 30-40 species which are mainly distributed in Asia (Himalayas, Altai Mountains, Siberia, Japan, China, and Korea), with a major centre of biodiversity on the Tibetan Plateau. In Europe, the two species of

A linkage map of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) based on population from ILC3279×ILC588 crosses: Location of genes for time to flowering, seed size and plant height

Quantitative traits of seed size, plant height and days to flowering were studied in a chickpea intraspecific F3:4 lines population derived from a ILC3279?ILC588 cross. The lines were genotyped with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), universal rice primer (URP) and sequence tagged microsatellite site (STMS) markers, and a genetic map composed of 7 linkage groups (LGs) covering 285.3 cM was constructed. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the three characters were detected in LG2, LG3 and LG4. Two QTLs for days to flowering were detected on LG2 and LG3. These two QTLs accounted for 58% of the total phenotypic variation for days to flowering. A QTL for plant height was located in LG3 explaining around 42% of the variation. This trait was shown to be under a major gene control. For 100-seed weight, a QTL located in LG4 explained around 37% of the phenotypic variations. This information can be used to formulate the an efficient breeding strategy for improvement of time to flowering in short-season temperate environments, plant height with more reproductive biomass and improved yield with bigger seed size in chickpea.