Studies on the linkage map of chromosome 4 of the tomato and on the transmission of induced deficiencies

Abstract

Various genetic and cytogenetic techniques were applied to an analysis of the linkage map of chromosome 4-a chromosome that is considered to be representative of the tomato complement. Loci have been approximated by standard F₂ linkage tests for 18 genes, including six on the short arm and 12 on the long arm, covering a map distance of 132 units (c.m.). The loci of four key markers were approximated on pachytene chromosomes by a study of radiation-induced deficiencies:clau near the end of the short arm,ful near the euchromatic-heterochromatic boundary of the short arm, ra near the same region on the long arm, and e in the middle of the long arm. Normal transmission for a presumedra deficiency suggests that this gene lies in the heterochromatin of 4L. According to tertiary trisomic segregation, w-4, known by linkage test to be proximal to ra, resides on 4L, therefore probably also in the heterochromatic region. The centromere is consequently delimited to a region of 4 c.m. between ful and w-4. The resultant maps reveal a very much lower crossover rate within heterochromatin-estimated at 0.8 c.m./μ-than for euchromatin-estimated at 4.8 c.m./μ for the short arm and 5.7 for the long arm. Also apparent is a strong tendency of the genes to concentrate toward the centromere of the genetic map and in the proximal sections of the euchromatin of the cytological map. Studies were made of the genetic transmission of various small deficiencies on chromosome 4 as well as a newly discovered deficiency for nv on chromosome 9, supporting the following conclusions. Regardless of their size, deficiencies of euchromatin are not transmitted. Deficiencies of heterochromatin are transmitted to a varying extent depending on their size. A presumed deficiency for ra that is too small to be detected cytologically was transmitted without adverse effect on gametes. Somewhat larger deficiencies may be transmitted at reduced rates by female gametes and the largest at extremely low rates, even on the female side.