Mapping complementary genes in maize: positioning the rf1 and rf2 nuclear-fertility restorer loci of Texas (T) cytoplasm relative to RFLP and visible markers

Abstract

There are three major groups of cytoplasmic male-sterile cytoplasms in maize; C (Charrua), S (USDA), and T (Texas). These cytoplasms can be classified by the unique nuclear genes that suppress the male-sterility effects of these cytoplasms and restore pollen fertility. Typically, plants that carry Texas (T) cytoplasm are male fertile only if they carry dominant alleles at two unlinked nuclear restorer loci,rf1 andrf2. To facilitate analysis of T-cytoplasm-mediated male sterility and fertility restoration, we have mappedrf1 andrf2 relative to closely-linked RFLP markers using five populations. Therf1 locus and/or linked visible markers were mapped in four populations; therf2 locus was mapped in two of the populations. Data from the individual populations were joined with the aid of JoinMap software. The resulting consensus maps placerf1 between umc97 and umc92 on chromosome 3 andrf2 between umc153 andsus1 on chromosome 9. Markers that flank therf1 andrf2 loci have been used to identify alleles atrf1 andrf2 in segregating populations. These analyses demonstrate the possibility of tracking separate fertility restorer loci that contribute to a single phenotype.