Isolation of a second S-locus-related cDNA from Brassica oleracea: genetic relationships between the S locus and two related loci

Abstract

Self-incompatibility in Brassica oleracea is controlled by the highly polymorphic S locus. Isolation and subsequent characterization of the S-locus-glycoprotein (SLG) gene, which encodes the S-locus-specific glycoprotein (SLSG), has revealed the presence of a self-incompatibility multigene family. One of these S-locus-related genes, SLR1, has been shown to be expressed. In this study we present the isolation and preliminary characterization of a second expressed S-locus-related sequence, SLR2. Through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) linkage analysis we demonstrate that the SLR1 and SLR2 loci reside approximately 18.5 map units apart in one linkage group that segregates independently of the S-locus. The identification of a second SLR gene expressed in stigmas suggests that loci unlinked to the S-locus may play a role in the self-incompatibility response, or in pollination in general.