Development and Characterization of EST-SSR Markers in the Eastern Oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). ESTs of the eastern oyster were downloaded from GenBank and screened for SSRs with at least eight units of dinucleotide or five units of tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide repeats. The screening of 9101 ESTs identified 127 (1.4%) SSR-containing sequences. Primers were designed for 88 SSR-containing ESTs with good and sufficient flanking sequences. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was successful for 71 primer pairs, including 19 (27%) pairs that amplified fragments longer than expected sizes, probably due to introns. Sixty-six pairs that produced fragments shorter than 800 bp were screened for polymorphism in five oysters from three populations via polyacrylamide gels, and 53 of them (80%) were polymorphic. Fifty-three polymorphic SSRs were labeled and genotyped in 30 oysters from three populations via an automated sequencer. Five of the SSRs amplified more than two fragments per oyster, suggesting locus duplication. The remaining 48 SSRs had 2 alleles per individual, including 11 with null alleles. In the 30 oysters analyzed, the SSRs had an average of 9.3 alleles per locus, ranging from 2 to 24. Forty-three loci segregated in a family with 100 progeny, with nine showing significant deviation from Mendelian ratios (three after Bonferroni correction). Seventy percent of the loci were successfully amplified in C. rhizophorae and 34% in C. gigas. This study demonstrates that ESTs are valuable resources for the development of SSR markers in the eastern oyster, and EST-derived SSRs are more transferable across species than genomic SSRs.     

Simple sequence repeat analyses of interspecific hybrids and MAALs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">officinalis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis>

Wild rice is a valuable resource for the genetic improvement of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L., AA genome). Molecular markers are important tools for monitoring gene introgression from wild rice into cultivated rice. In this study, Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were used to analyze interspecific hybrids of O. sativa-O. officinalis (CC genome), the backcrossing progenies and the parent plants. Results showed that most of the SSR primers (335 out of 396, 84.6%) developed in cultivated rice successfully amplified products from DNA samples of wild rice O. officinalis. The polymorphism ratio of SSR bands between O. sativa and O. officinalis was as high as 93.9%, indicating differences between the two species with respect to SSRs. When the SSR markers were applied in the interspecific hybrids, only a portion of SSR primers amplified O. officinalis-specific bands in the F(1) hybrid (52.5%), BC(1) (52.5%), and MAALs (37.0%); a number of the bands disappeared. Of the 124 SSR loci that detected officinalis-specific bands in MAAL plants, 96 (77.4%) showed synteny between the A and C-genomes, and 20 (16.1%) showed duplication in the C-genome. Sequencing analysis revealed that indels, substitution and duplication contribute to the diversity of SSR loci between the genomes of O. sativa and O. officinalis.     

An SSR-based genetic linkage map for perennial ryegrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lolium perenne</Emphasis> L.)

A simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based linkage map has been constructed for perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) using a one-way pseudo-testcross reference population. A total of 309 unique perennial ryegrass SSR (LPSSR) primer pairs showing efficient amplification were evaluated for genetic polymorphism, with 31% detecting segregating alleles. Ninety-three loci have been assigned to positions on seven linkage groups. The majority of the mapped loci are derived from cloned sequences containing (CA)_n-type dinucleotide SSR arrays. A small number (7%) of primer pairs amplified fragments that mapped to more than one locus. The SSR locus data has been integrated with selected data for RFLP, AFLP and other loci mapped in the same population to produce a composite map containing 258 loci. The SSR loci cover 54% of the genetic map and show significant clustering around putative centromeric regions. BLASTN and BLASTX analysis of the sequences flanking mapped SSRs indicated that a majority (84%) are derived from non-genic sequences, with a small proportion corresponding to either known repetitive DNA sequence families or predicted genes. The mapped LPSSR loci provide the basis for linkage group assignment across multiple mapping populations.     

Development,characterization and variability analysis of microsatellites in lychee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Litchi chinensis</Emphasis> Sonn., Sapindaceae)

We report 12 microsatellites enriched in CT repeats obtained from a genomic library of the lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cultivar Mauritius. The polymorphisms revealed by these microsatellites were evaluated in a collection of 21 lychee cultivars. A total of 59 fragments were detected with these 12 SSRs, with an average of 4.9 bands/SSR. Three primer pairs seem to amplify more than a single locus. The mean expected and observed heterozygosities over the 9 single-locus SSRs averaged 0.571 (range: 0.137–0.864) and 0.558 (range: 0.169–0.779) respectively. The total value for the probability of identity was 7.53×10^-5. In addition, the selected SSRs were used to amplify DNA from four longan cultivars. Eleven of the 12 SSRs produced amplification fragments in longan, and eight of these fragments were polymorphic. All except two of the products amplified from longan were the same size as those amplified from lychee, suggesting a close genetic proximity between the two species. The SSRs studied produced 22 different patterns, allowing the unambiguous identification of 16 lychee and the 4 longan cultivars studied. Discrimination was possible with just four selected microsatellites. Two groups with two and three undistinguishable cultivars were obtained, reflecting probable synonymies. Unweighted pair-group method of artimetic averages (UPGMA) cluster analysis divided the lychee cultivars studied into two main groups, one consisting of ancient cultivars and the other with more diverse recent cultivars. This is the first report of microsatellite development in the Sapindaceae, and the results demonstrate the usefulness of microsatellites for identification, similarity studies and germplasm conservation in lychee and related species.Communicated by H.F. Linskens     

Development and genetic mapping of microsatellite markers from whole genome shotgun sequences in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica oleracea</Emphasis>

The availability of whole genome shotgun sequences (WGSs) in Brassica oleracea provides an unprecedented opportunity for development of microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for genome analysis and genetic improvement in Brassica species. In this study, a total of 56,465 non-redundant SSRs were identified from the WGSs in B. oleracea, with dinucleotide repeats being the most abundant, followed by tri-, tetra- and pentanucleotide repeats. From these, 1,398 new SSR markers (designated as BoGMS) with repeat length ≥25 bp were developed and used to survey polymorphisms with a panel of six rapeseed varieties, which is the largest number of SSR markers developed for the C genome in a single study. Of these SSR markers, 752 (69.5%) showed polymorphism among the six varieties. Of these, 266 markers that showed clear scorable polymorphisms between B. napus varieties No. 2127 and ZY821 were integrated into an existing B. napus genetic linkage map. These new markers are preferentially distributed on the linkage groups in the C genome, and significantly increased the number of SSR markers in the C genome. These SSR markers will be very useful for gene mapping and marker-assisted selection of important agronomic traits in Brassica species.     

Genetics and molecular mapping of a novel purple blotch-resistant gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">ApR1</Emphasis> in onion (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium cepa</Emphasis> L.) using STS and SSR markers

Purple blotch (PB), caused by Alternaria porri (Ellis) Cifferi is the most devastating foliar disease of onion worldwide. However, no attempt has been made so far to detect or map a PB-resistant locus in the onion genome. The present investigation was performed to study the inheritance and develop molecular markers linked to PB resistance by using F₁, F₂, and BC₁ populations developed from a cross between the PB-resistant onion cultivar ‘Arka Kalyan’ and the susceptible parent ‘Agrifound Rose’. Disease evaluation with a virulent isolate of A. porri revealed that the F₁ was resistant while 498 F₂ plants segregated in a 3:1 resistant (R) to susceptible (S) phenotypic ratio and 128 BC₁ lines segregated in 1R:1S ratio, suggesting that the PB resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene designated as ApR1. Out of 288 ISSRs and SSRs primer sets, 59 distinguished the two parental lines and were used in bulk segregant analysis to link them with the presumed ApR1 gene. Seven markers viz. 3 ISSRs (AcISSR47₁₂₅₇, AcISSR68₁₆₀₀, and AcISSR103₁₄₁₆) and four SSRs (AcSSR7, AcSSR22, AcSSR31, and AcSSR33) showed specific polymorphism between resistant and susceptible bulks and were used for genotyping F₂ and BC₁ mapping populations. The three ISSR fragments were converted into sequence-tagged markers, and southern blotting confirmed their association with the resistant locus and the single-copy status. Molecular mapping revealed that the SSR marker AcSSR7 and STS marker ApR-450 were closely linked to the ApR1 locus in coupling at distances of 1.3 and 1.1 cM, respectively. Further, both of these markers could not be amplified in 23 susceptible onion genotypes with different genetic backgrounds. This is the first report of identification of markers linked to PB-resistant locus in onion. Hence, SSR marker AcSSR7 and STS marker ApR-450 identified in this study could be recommended for facilitating the introgression of ApR1 into susceptible onion variants for the development of high yielding PB-resistant genotypes.     

Development of SSR markers derived from SSR-enriched genomic library of eggplant (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum melongena</Emphasis> L.)

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), also known as aubergine or brinjal, is an important vegetable in many countries. Few useful molecular markers have been reported for eggplant. We constructed simple sequence repeat (SSR)-enriched genomic libraries in order to develop SSR markers, and sequenced more than 14,000 clones. From these sequences, we designed 2,265 primer pairs to flank SSR motifs. We identified 1,054 SSR markers from amplification of 1,399 randomly selected primer pairs. The markers have an average polymorphic information content of 0.27 among eight lines of S. melongena. Of the 1,054 SSR markers, 214 segregated in an intraspecific mapping population. We constructed cDNA libraries from several eggplant tissues and obtained 6,144 expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences. From these sequences, we designed 209 primer pairs, 7 of which segregated in the mapping population. On the basis of the segregation data, we constructed a linkage map, and mapped the 236 segregating markers to 14 linkage groups. The linkage map spans a total length of 959.1 cM, with an average marker distance of 4.3 cM. The markers should be a useful resource for qualitative and quantitative trait mapping and for marker-assisted selection in eggplant breeding.     

Construction of an intraspecific linkage map of lentil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lens culinaris</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">culinaris</Emphasis>)

The first intraspecific linkage map of the lentil genome was constructed with 114 molecular markers (100 RAPD, 11 ISSR and three RGA) using an F₂ population developed from a cross between lentil cultivars ILL5588 and ILL7537 which differed in resistance for ascochyta blight. Linkage analysis at a LOD score of 4.0 and a maximum recombination fraction of 0.25 revealed nine linkage groups comprising between 6 and 18 markers each. The intraspecific map spanned a total length of 784.1 cM. The markers were distributed throughout the genome, however markers were clustered in the middle or near the middle of the linkage groups, suggesting the location of centromeres. Of 114 mapped markers, 16 (14.0%) were distorted, usually at the end or middle of the linkage groups. The utility of ISSR and RGA markers for mapping in lentil was explored, and the primer with an (AC) repeat motif was found to be useful.Communicated by H.C. Becker     

Characterization of hawthorn (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crataegus</Emphasis> spp.) genotypes by SSR markers

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is an edible wild fruit that is used in traditional medicine, landscape studies, and food and beverage industries in many countries. It is an important wild plant species in Turkey and is numerous in the Yozgat Province. Genetic and breeding studies on hawthorn are very limited. Therefore, we aimed to characterize 91 hawthorn genotypes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSRs were developed from apple and pear and were screened in hawthorn for amplification and polymorphisms. A total of 265 alleles were detected from thirty-two SSR primer pairs, and those were used to identify genetic relationships. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 21 alleles per locus with a mean value of 8.28. The Hi05b09 locus showed the highest allele number (Na?=?21). The polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.16 (CH03d10) to 0.89 (C6554) with a mean value of 0.60. An Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Average method was used to cluster the genotypes, and four major clusters were obtained from the amplification of the SSRs. STRUCTURE software identified four populations (ΔK?=?4) and eight sub-populations (ΔK?=?8), and four major clusters similar results to UPGMA analysis. Our study showed that the SSR markers could be utilized as a reliable tool for the determination of genetic variations and relationships of hawthorn genotypes. A basic molecular analysis on the hawthorn genotypes identified in this study will promote the collection of germplasm collection and the selection of parents’ in future cross-breeding studies.     

Comparative mapping between<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Quercus</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Castanea</Emphasis> using simple-sequence repeats (SSRs)

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from Quercus and Castanea were used for comparative mapping between Quercus robur (L.) and Castanea sativa (Mill.). We tested the transferability of SSRs developed in Quercus to Castanea and vice-versa. In total, 47% (25) of the Quercus SSRs and 63% (19) of the Castanea SSRs showed a strong amplification product in the non-source species. From these 44 putative comparative anchor tags, 19 (15 from Quercus and 4 from Castanea) were integrated in two previously established genetic linkage maps for the two genera. SSR loci were sequenced to confirm the orthology of the markers. The combined information from both genetic mapping and sequence analysis were used to determine the homeology between seven linkage groups, aligned on the basis of pairs or triplets of common markers, while two additional groups were matched using a single microsatellite marker. Orthologous loci identified between Q. robur and C. sativa will be useful as anchor loci for comparative mapping studies within the Fagaceae family.Communicated by D.B. NealeThis paper is dedicated to the memory of Paulo Costa     

Development of INDELs markers in oilseed rape (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.) using re-sequencing data

Insertions/deletions (INDELs), a type of abundant length polymorphisms in the plant genomes, combine the characteristics of both simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), and thus can be developed as desired molecular markers for genetic studies and crop breeding. There has been no large-scale characterization of INDELs variations in Brassica napus yet. In this study, we identified a total of 538,691 INDELs in size range of 1–10 bp by aligning whole-genome re-sequencing data of 23 B. napus inbred lines (ILs) to the B. napus genome sequence of ‘Darmor-bzh.’ Of these, 104,190 INDELs were uniquely mapped on the pseudochromosomes of the reference genome. A set of 595 unique INDELs of 2–5 bp in length was selected for experimental validation in the 23 ILs. Of these INDELs, 530 (89.01 %) produced a single PCR product and were single locus. A total of 523 (87.9 %) INDELs were found polymorphic among the 23 ILs. A genetic linkage map containing 108 single-locus INDELs and 89 anchor SSR markers was constructed using 188 recombinant ILs. The majority of INDELs markers on the linkage map showed consistency with the pseudochromosomes of the B. napus cultivar ‘Darmor-bzh.’ The INDELs variations and markers reported here will be valuable resources in future for genetic studies and molecular breeding in oilseed rape.     

Newly developed SSR markers reveal genetic diversity and geographical clustering in spinach (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spinacia oleracea</Emphasis>)

Spinach is a popular leafy green vegetable due to its nutritional composition. It contains high concentrations of vitamins A, E, C, and K, and folic acid. Development of genetic markers for spinach is important for diversity and breeding studies. In this work, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology was used to develop genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. After cleaning and contig assembly, the sequence encompassed 2.5% of the 980 Mb spinach genome. The contigs were mined for SSRs. A total of 3852 SSRs were detected. Of these, 100 primer pairs were tested and 85% were found to yield clear, reproducible amplicons. These 85 markers were then applied to 48 spinach accessions from worldwide origins, resulting in 389 alleles with 89% polymorphism. The average gene diversity (GD) value of the markers (based on a GD calculation that ranges from 0 to 0.5) was 0.25. Our results demonstrated that the newly developed SSR markers are suitable for assessing genetic diversity and population structure of spinach germplasm. The markers also revealed clustering of the accessions based on geographical origin with clear separation of Far Eastern accessions which had the overall highest genetic diversity when compared with accessions from Persia, Turkey, Europe, and the USA. Thus, the SSR markers have good potential to provide valuable information for spinach breeding and germplasm management. Also they will be helpful for genome mapping and core collection establishment.     

Characterization,development and mapping of Unigene-derived microsatellite markers in sorghum [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum bicolor</Emphasis> (L.) Moench]

Molecular variation within known genes controlling specific functions provide candidate gene-based markers which are tightly linked with the trait of interest. Unigene-derived microsatellite markers, with their unique identity and positions, offer the advantage of unraveling variation in the expressed component of the genome. We characterized ≥12-bp-long microsatellite loci from 13,899 unique sequences of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] available in the NCBI unigene database for their abundance and possible use in sorghum breeding. Analysis of 12,464 unigenes (≥200-bp) using MISA software identified 14,082 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in 7,370 unigenes, from which 1,519 unigene SSR markers were developed. The average frequency of SSR was 1 per1.6 kb and 1.0 per 1.1 unigene; hexamers followed by trimers were found in abundance, of which 33.3% AT-rich and CCG repeats were the most abundant. Of the 302 unigene SSRs tested, 60 (19.8%) were polymorphic between the two parents, M35-1 and B35 of a recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population. A mapping population consisting of 500 RILs was developed using the above two parents, and a subset of random 245 RILs was used for genotyping with polymorphic SSRs. We developed a linkage map containing 231 markers, of which 228 (174 genomic and 54 genic) were microsatellites and three were morphological markers. Markers were distributed over 21 linkage groups, and spanned a genetic distance of 1235.5 cM. This map includes 81 new SSRs, of which 35 (21 unigene and 14 genomic) were developed in the present study and 46 from other studies. The order of the SSR markers mapped in the present study was confirmed physically by BLAST search against the whole-genome shotgun sequence of sorghum. Many unigene sequences used for marker development in this study include genes coding for important regulatory proteins and functional proteins that are involved in stress-related metabolism. The unigene SSR markers used together with other SSR markers to construct the sorghum genetic map will have applications in studies on comparative mapping, functional diversity analysis and association mapping, and for quantitative trait loci detection for drought and other agronomically important traits in sorghum.     

Development of an STS map of an interspecific progeny of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus</Emphasis>

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers developed from Malus, as well as Prunus, Pyrus and Sorbus, and some other sequence-tagged site (STS) loci were analysed in an interspecific F₁ apple progeny from the cross ‘Fiesta’ × ‘Totem’ that segregated for several agronomic characters. A linkage map was constructed using 259 STS loci (247 SSRs, four SCARs and eight known-function genes) and five genes for agronomic traits—scab resistance (Vf), mildew resistance (Pl-2), columnar growth habit (Co), red tissues (Rt) and green flesh background colour (Gfc). Ninety SSR loci and three genes (ETR1, Rt and Gfc) were mapped for the first time in apple. The transferability of markers from other Maloideae to Malus was found to be around 44%. The loci are spread across 17 linkage groups, corresponding to the basic chromosome number of Malus and cover 1,208 cM, approximately 85% of the estimated length of the apple genome. Interestingly, we have extended the top of LG15 with eight markers covering 25 cM. The average map density is 4.7 cM per marker; however, marker density varies greatly between linkage groups, from 2.5 in LG14 to 8.9 in LG7, with some areas of the genome still in need of further STS markers for saturation.     

A genetic linkage map for an apricot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus armeniaca</Emphasis> L.) BC<Subscript>1</Subscript> population mapping <Emphasis Type="Italic">plum pox virus</Emphasis> resistance

Plum pox virus (sharka; PPV) can cause severe crop loss in economically important Prunus species such as peach, plum, apricot, and cherry. Of these species, certain apricot cultivars (‘Stark Early Orange’, ‘Goldrich’, ‘Harlayne’) display significant levels of resistance to the disease and are the genetic substrate for studies of several xlaboratories working cooperatively to genetically characterize and mark the resistance locus or loci for marker-assisted breeding. The goals of the work presented in this communication are the characterization of the genetics of PPV resistance in ‘Stark Early Orange’ and the development of co-dominant molecular markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in PPV resistance breeding. We present the first genetic linkage map for an apricot backcross population of ‘Stark Early Orange’ and the susceptible cultivar ‘Vestar’ that segregates for resistance to PPV. This map is comprised of 357 loci (330 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), 26 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 1 morphological marker for PPV resistance) assigned to eight linkage groups. Twenty-two of the mapped SSRs are shared in common with genetic reference map for Prunus (T × E; Joobeur et al. 1998) and anchor our apricot map to the general Prunus map. A PPV resistance locus was mapped in linkage group 1 and four AFLP markers segregating with the PPV resistance trait, identified through bulk segregant analysis, facilitated the development of SSRs in this region. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Lalli, D.A. and Salava, J. contributed equally to this work.     

Efficiency of microsatellite enrichment in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prosopis chilensis</Emphasis> using magnetic capture

Microsatellites (i.e., simple sequence repeats [SSRs]) are highly variable genetic markers that are widely used at an intraspecific level in population genetic studies. Here we employed an enrichment strategy for microsatellite isolation by using microsatellite oligoprobes and magnetic capture of the fragments (Fischer and Bachmann, 1998) inProsopis chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz (Fabaceae). We analyzed the obtained level of enrichment by sequencing 120 enriched genomic fragments. A total of 521 SSR motives were detected. According to specific search criteria (SSR motifs ≥3 repeat units and ≥6 bp length), 95.8% of the clones contained SSR motifs. Of these, 7.8% showed homology to chloroplast sequences and 92.2% to nuclear sequences. When regarding only nuclear SSRs with 5 or more repeat units and a minimum length of 10 bp, the level of enrichment was 30.8%. A FASTA search against the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) database univocally revealed 4 clones in transcribed regions, 102 clones in genomic regions with unknown function, and 9 clones in chloroplast regions. Among the loci with longer repeat units (≥10 bp, ≥5 repeat units), 3 were in transcribed regions and 65 were in other genomic regions. We discuss the applicability of these markers for population genetic studies.     

Molecular Diversity in some Ghanaian Cowpea [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna unguiculata</Emphasis> L. (Walp)] Accessions

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp)] is grown mainly for its protein-rich grains and is consumed in various forms in sub-Saharan Africa. Average grain yield in farmers’ fields is generally low due to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses. One hundred and six cowpea accessions from Ghana, which had previously been evaluated for seedling drought tolerance, were used for this study. This paper attempts to use three multi-locus PCR-based molecular markers; simple sequence repeats (SSR), inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP) and retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphisms (REMAP), to analyse genetic diversity in the cowpea accessions. Analysis of the polymorphic bands data indicated that 101 alleles were amplified among 121 cowpea genotypes (83.4%) from 16 SSR primer pairs out of a total of 30 SSR primer pairs. Likewisely, a total of 66 (54.5%) polymorphic bands were obtained from IRAP and a total of 114 (94.2%) highly polymorphic bands obtained from REMAP analysis. The outcome indicated the highly polymorphic nature of the DNA markers, as small groups of these molecular markers were found to be able to identify each of the accessions used. Microsatellite markers (SSRs) and retrotransposon-based markers, like IRAP and REMAP, were found to be highly polymorphic and informative, suggesting that genomic fingerprinting has a major role in characterizing populations.     

A consensus map for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucurbita pepo</Emphasis>

Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), simple sequence repeats (SSR), and morphological traits, the first genetic maps for Cucurbita pepo (2n=2x=40) were constructed and compared. The two mapping populations consisted of 92 F₂ individuals each. One map was developed from a cross between an oil-seed pumpkin breeding line and a zucchini accession, into which genes for resistance to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus (ZYMV) from a related species, C. moschata, had been introgressed. The other map was developed from a cross between an oil-seed pumpkin and a crookneck variety. A total of 332 and 323 markers were mapped in the two populations. Markers were distributed in each map over 21 linkage groups and covered an average of 2,200 cM of the C. pepo genome. The two maps had 62 loci in common, which enabled identification of 14 homologous linkage groups. Polyacrylamide gel analyses allowed detection of a high number of markers suitable for mapping, 10% of which were co-dominant RAPD loci. In the Pumpkin-Zucchini population, bulked segregant analysis (BSA) identified seven markers less than 7 cM distant from the locus n, affecting lignification of the seed coat. One of these markers, linked to the recessive hull-less allele (AW11-420), was also found in the Pumpkin-Crookneck population, 4 cM from n. In the Pumpkin-Zucchini population, 24 RAPD markers, previously introduced into C. pepo from C. moschata, were mapped in two linkage groups (13 and 11 markers in LGpz1 and LGpz2, respectively), together with two sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers linked to genes for resistance to ZYMV.