Identification of the A and C genomes of amphidiploid Brassica napus (oilseed rape)

Abstract

A genetic linkage map consisting of 399 RFLP-defined loci was generated from a cross between resynthesized Brassica napus (an interspecific B. rapa x B. oleracea hybrid) and "natural" oilseed rape. The majority of loci exhibited disomic inheritance of parental alleles demonstrating that B. rapa chromosomes were each pairing exclusively with recognisable A-genome homologues in B. napus and that B. oleracea chromosomes were pairing similarly with C-genome homologues. This behaviour identified the 10 A genome and 9 C genome linkage groups of B. napus and demonstrated that the nuclear genomes of B. napus, B. rapa, and B. oleracea have remained essentially unaltered since the formation of the amphidiploid species, B. napus. A range of unusual marker patterns, which could be explained by aneuploidy and nonreciprocal translocations, were observed in the mapping population. These chromosome abnormalities were probably caused by associations between homoeologous chromosomes at meiosis in the resynthesized parent and the F1 plant leading to nondisjunction and homoeologous recombination.