AFLP markers in a molecular linkage map of maize: codominant scoring and linkage group ditsribution

We exploited the AFLP technique to saturate a RFLP linkage map derived from a maize mapping population. By using two restriction enzyme, EcoRI and PstI, differing in methylation sensitivity, both in combination with MseI, we detected 1568 bands of which 340 where polymorphic. These were added to the exitsing RFLP marker data to study the effects of incorporation of AFLPs produced by different restriction-enzyme combinations upon genetic maps. Addition of the AFLP data resulted in greater genome coverage, both through linking previously separate groups and the extension of other groups. The increase of the total map length was mainly caused by the addition of markers to telomeric regions, where RFLP markers were poorly represented. The percentage of informative loci was significantly different between the EcoRI and PstI assays. There was also evidence that PstI AFLP markers were more randomly distributed across chromosomes and chromosome regions, while EcoRI AFLP markers clustered mainly at centomeric regions. The more-random ditsribution of PstI AFLP markers on the genetic map reported here may reflect a preferential localisation of the markers in the hypomethylated telomeric regions of the chromosomes. Received: 22 December 1998 / Accepted: 25 March 1999