Simultaneous painting of three genomes in hexaploid wheat by BAC-FISH.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is widely used in the physical mapping of genes and chromosome landmarks in plants and animals. Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) contain large inserts, making them amenable for FISH mapping. In our BAC-FISH experiments, we selected 56 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-locus-specific BAC clones from the libraries of Triticum monococcum and Aegilops tauschii, which are the A- and D-genome donors of wheat (Triticum aestivum, 2n = 6x = 42), respectively. The BAC clone 676D4 from the T. monococcum library contains a dispersed repeat that preferentially hybridizes to A-genome chromosomes, and two BAC clones, 9I10 and 9M13, from the Ae. tauschii library contain a dispersed repeat that preferentially hybridizes to the D-genome chromosomes. These repeats are useful in simultaneously discriminating the three different genomes in hexaploid wheat, and in identifying intergenomic translocations in wheat or between wheat and alien chromosomes. Sequencing results show that both of these repeats are transposable elements, indicating the importance of transposable elements, especially retrotransposons, in the genome evolution of wheat.     

A direct repeat sequence associated with the centromeric retrotransposons in wheat.

A high-density BAC filter of Triticum monococcum was screened for the presence of a centromeric retrotransposon using the integrase region as a probe. Southern hybridization to the BAC digests using total genomic DNA probes of Triticum monococcum, Triticum aestivum, and Hordeum vulgare detected differentially hybridizing restriction fragments between wheat and barley. The fragments that hybridized to genomic DNA of wheat but not to that of barley were subcloned. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated that the clone pHind258 hybridized strongly to centromeric regions in wheat and rye and weakly to those in barley. The sequence of pHind258 was homologous to integrase and long terminal repeats of centromeric Ty3-gypsy retrotransposons of cereal species. Additionally, pHind258 has a pair of 192-bp direct repeats. FISH analysis indicated that the 192-bp repeat probe hybridized to centromeres of wheat and rye but not to those of barley. We found differential FISH signal intensities among wheat chromosomes using the 192-bp probe. In general, the A-genome chromosomes possess strong FISH signals, the B-genome chromosomes possess moderate signals, and the D-genome chromosomes possess weak signals. This was consistent with the estimated copy numbers of the 192-bp repeats in the ancestral species of hexaploid wheat.     

Localization of BAC clones on mitotic chromosomes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa acuminata</Emphasis> using fluorescence <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> hybridization

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of banana (Musa acuminata) was used to select BAC clones that carry low amounts of repetitive DNA sequences and could be suitable as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on mitotic metaphase chromosomes. Out of eighty randomly selected BAC clones, only one clone gave a single-locus signal on chromosomes of M. acuminata cv. Calcutta 4. The clone localized on a chromosome pair that carries a cluster of 5S rRNA genes. The remaining BAC clones gave dispersed FISH signals throughout the genome and/or failed to produce any signal. In order to avoid the excessive hybridization of repetitive DNA sequences, we subcloned nineteen BAC clones and selected their ‘low-copy’ subclones. Out of them, one subclone gave specific signal in secondary constriction on one chromosome pair; three subclones were localized into centromeric and peri-centromeric regions of all chromosomes. Other subclones were either localized throughout the banana genome or their use did not result in visible FISH signals. The nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that subclones, which localized on different regions of all chromosomes, contained short fragments of various repetitive DNA sequences. The chromosome-specific BAC clone identified in this work increases the number of useful cytogenetic markers for Musa.     

Identification and Preliminary Analysis of Several Centromere-associated Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Clones from a Diploid Wheat Library

Although the centromeres of some plants have been investlgated prevlously, our knowledge of the wheat centromere Is still very llmlted. To understand the structure and functlon of the wheat centromere, we used two centromeric repeats （RCS1 and CCS1-5ab） to obtain some centromere-assoclated bacterial artificial chromosome （BAC） clones in 32 RCS1-related BAC clones that had been screened out from a diploid wheat （Triticum boeoticum Boiss.; 2n=2x=14） BAC library. Southern hybridization results indicated that, of the 32 candidates, there were 28 RCS1-positive clones. Based on gel blot patterns, the frequency of RCS1 was approximately one copy every 69.4 kb in these 28 RCS1-positive BAC clones. More bands were detected when the same filter was probed with CCS1-5ab. Furthermore, the CCS1 bands covered all the bands detected by RCS1, which suggests that some CCS1 repeats were distributed together with RCS1. The frequency of CCS1 families was once every 35.8 kb, nearly twice that of RCS1. Fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH） analysis Indicated that the five BAC clones containing RCS1 and CCS1 sequences all detected signals at the centromerlc regions in hexaplold wheat, but the signal intensities on the A-genome chromosomes were stronger than those on the B- and/or Dgenome chromosomes. The FISH analysis among nine Triticeae cereals indicated that there were A-genomespecific （or rich） sequences dispersing on chromosome arms in the BAC clone TbBACS. In addition, at the interphase cells, the centromeres of diploid species usually clustered at one pole and formed a ring-like allocation In the period before metaphase.     

Random BAC FISH of monocot plants reveals differential distribution of repetitive DNA elements in small and large chromosome species

BAC FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization using bacterial artificial chromosome probes) is a useful cytogenetic technique for physical mapping, chromosome marker screening, and comparative genomics. As a large genomic fragment with repetitive sequences is inserted in each BAC clone, random BAC FISH without adding competitive DNA can unveil complex chromosome organization of the repetitive elements in plants. Here we performed the comparative analysis of the random BAC FISH in monocot plants including species having small chromosomes (rice and asparagus) and those having large chromosomes (hexaploid wheat, onion, and spider lily) in order to understand a whole view of the repetitive element organization in Poales and Asparagales monocots. More unique and less dense dispersed signals of BAC FISH were observed in species with smaller chromosomes in both the Poales and Asparagales species. In the case of large-chromosome species, 75-85% of the BAC clones were detected as dispersed repetitive FISH signals along entire chromosomes. The BAC FISH of Lycoris did not even show localized repetitive patterns (e.g., centromeric localization) of signals.     

棉花细菌人工染色体的荧光原位杂交(BAC-FISH)技术

细菌人工染色体荧光原位杂交(BAC-FISH)技术是植物染色体识别、物理作图等分子细胞遗传学研究的重要工具,但对于某些物种尤其是多倍体植物,由于大量重复序列的存在等问题,使得该技术应用受到很大的限制.通过选择棉花分子遗传图中高重组区的微卫星位点(simple sequence repeats,SSR)标记的策略,筛选到不含或含有少量重复序列的细菌人工染色体(BAC)克隆,同时,在通用FISH技术程序基础上,通过改进发根、变性、洗脱条件等步骤,构建出适合于棉花的BAC-FISH技术,简化了操作流程的同时,获得稳定的杂交结果及较高的检出率;并通过将一随机获得的BAC进行染色体的物理定位,进一步引入双探针、双色及重复杂交技术,显示了该技术的成熟与良好的应用前景和价值.     

用于目标序列染色体定位的镜鲤BAC-FISH体系构建

为了构建用于镜鲤(Cyprinus carpio var. specularis)特定基因组序列染色体定位的实验体系, 在细菌人工染色体(Bacterial Artificial Chromosome, BAC)文库筛选池中对已知短序列基因组片段进行PCR扩增, 筛选出包含目标序列的BAC克隆, 提取BAC质粒进行缺刻平移标记制备探针, 开展荧光原位杂交(Fluorescence in situ hybridization, FISH)实验。通过对染色体片前处理、BAC质粒探针制备、C0t-1 DNA封闭基因组重复序列、预杂交、荧光染料选择、信号放大等一系列实验条件和方法的探索优化, 成功实现了目标序列在镜鲤有丝分裂中期染色体上的定位。定位对象既包括在染色体上有单一位点的序列, 如斑马鱼微卫星标记Z6884和Z4268, 也包括在染色体上有多个位点的重复序列, 如黄河鲤性别相关标记CCmf1。来自斑马鱼同一条染色体上的两个微卫星标记被分别定位于镜鲤不同染色体上, 为鲤鱼染色体数目加倍的进化假设提供了一项直接实验证据, 同时将现有遗传连锁图谱与染色体对应起来, 可作为染色体识别和细胞遗传学图谱构建的依据。黄河鲤性别相关重复序列被定位于不少于四条染色体上, 为性别决定相关基因的筛查提供了研究线索。这一BAC-FISH实验体系将成为鲤细胞遗传学图谱构建、基因组进化和比较基因组学研究中的重要研究工具。       

Development of one set of chromosome-specific microsatellite-containing BACs and their physical mapping in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone as probe, is a reliable cytological technique for chromosome identification. It has been used in many plants, especially in those containing numerous small chromosomes. We previously developed eight chromosome-specific BAC clones from tetraploid cotton, which were used as excellent cytological markers for chromosomes identification. Here, we isolated the other chromosome-specific BAC clones to make a complete set for the identification of all 26 chromosome-pairs by this technology in tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). This set of BAC markers was demonstrated to be useful to assign each chromosome to a genetic linkage group unambiguously. In addition, these BAC clones also served as convenient and reliable landmarks for establishing physical linkage with unknown targeted sequences. Moreover, one BAC containing an EST, with high sequence similarity to a G. hirsutum ethylene-responsive element-binding factor was located physically on the long arm of chromosome A7 with the help of a chromosome-A7-specific BAC FISH marker. Comparative analysis of physical marker positions in the chromosomes by BAC-FISH and genetic linkage maps demonstrated that most of the 26 BAC clones were localized close to or at the ends of their respective chromosomes, and indicated that the recombination active regions of cotton chromosomes are primarily located in the distal regions. This technology also enables us to make associations between chromosomes and their genetic linkage groups and re-assign each chromosome according to the corresponding genetic linkage group. This BAC clones and BAC-FISH technology will be useful for us to evaluate grossly the degree to which a linkage map provides adequate coverage for developing a saturated genetic map, and provides a powerful resource for cotton genomic researches.     

Construction and characterization of a soybean bacterial artificial chromosome library and use of multiple complementary libraries for genome physical mapping

Two plant-transformation-competent large-insert binary clone bacterial artificial chromosome (hereafter BIBAC) libraries were previously constructed for soybean cv. Forrest, using BamHI or HindIII. However, they are not well suited for clone-based genomic sequencing due to their larger ratio of vector to insert size (27.6 kbp:125 kbp). Therefore, we developed a larger-insert bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for the genotype in a smaller vector (pECBAC1), using EcoRI. The BAC library contains 38,400 clones; about 99.1% of the clones have inserts; the average insert size is 157 kbp; and the ratio of vector to insert size is much smaller (7.5 kbp:157 kbp). Colony hybridization with probes derived from several chloroplast and mitochondrial genes showed that 0.89% and 0.45% of the clones were derived from the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes, respectively. Considering these data, the library represents 5.4 haploid genomes of soybean. The library was hybridized with six RFLP marker probes, 5S rDNA and 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA, respectively. Each RFLP marker hybridized to about six clones, and the 5S and 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA probes collectively hybridized to 402 BACs—about 1.05% of the clones in the library. The BAC library complements the existing soybean Forrest BIBAC libraries by using different restriction enzymes and vector systems. Together, the BAC and BIBAC libraries encompass 13.2 haploid genomes, providing the most comprehensive clone resource for a single soybean genotype for public genome research. We show that the BAC library has enhanced the development of the soybean whole-genome physical map and use of three complementary BAC libraries improves genome physical mapping by fingerprint analysis of most of the clones of the library. The rDNA-containing clones were also fingerprinted to evaluate the feasibility of constructing contig maps of the rDNA regions. It was found that physical maps for the rDNA regions could not be readily constructed by fingerprint analysis, using one or two restriction enzymes. Additional data to fingerprints and/or different fingerprinting methods are needed to build contig maps for such highly tandem repetitive regions and thus, the physical map of the entire soybean genome.     

Molecular analysis of the D-genome of the Triticeae

Summary The chromosome of three tetraploid Aegilops L. species containing the D-genome were analyzed by in situ hybridization with a repeated DNA sequence clone pAS1 isolated from Aegilops squarrosa and observed to be D-genome specific. This sequence is found on all seven D-genome chromosome pairs of A. squarrosa and hexaploid wheat. Two distinct D-genome patterns were observed in the tetraploid species. The D-genome of A. cylindrica was similar to hexaploid wheat. Seven pairs of chromosomes having large amounts and numerous sites of the sequence were observed. Five chromosome pairs with fewer and smaller sites of the repetitive sequence were observed in the D-genomes of A. crassa and A. ventricosa. In addition to these major repeated sequence differences, chromosomal modifications appear to have occurred between T. aestivum and A. cylindrica and between A. crassa and A. ventricosa resulting in changes with respect to location of the sequence between the respective species. D-genome divergence with respect to pAS1 sequence appears to have occurred at least in two forms, one characterized by the changes in amount of repetitive sequence and the second by changes in location of the sequence.     

BioNano genome mapping of individual chromosomes supports physical mapping and sequence assembly in complex plant genomes

The assembly of a reference genome sequence of bread wheat is challenging due to its specific features such as the genome size of 17 Gbp, polyploid nature and prevalence of repetitive sequences. BAC‐by‐BAC sequencing based on chromosomal physical maps, adopted by the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium as the key strategy, reduces problems caused by the genome complexity and polyploidy, but the repeat content still hampers the sequence assembly. Availability of a high‐resolution genomic map to guide sequence scaffolding and validate physical map and sequence assemblies would be highly beneficial to obtaining an accurate and complete genome sequence. Here, we chose the short arm of chromosome 7D (7DS) as a model to demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to couple chromosome flow sorting with genome mapping in nanochannel arrays and create a de novo genome map of a wheat chromosome. We constructed a high‐resolution chromosome map composed of 371 contigs with an N50 of 1.3 Mb. Long DNA molecules achieved by our approach facilitated chromosome‐scale analysis of repetitive sequences and revealed a ~800‐kb array of tandem repeats intractable to current DNA sequencing technologies. Anchoring 7DS sequence assemblies obtained by clone‐by‐clone sequencing to the 7DS genome map provided a valuable tool to improve the BAC‐contig physical map and validate sequence assembly on a chromosome‐arm scale. Our results indicate that creating genome maps for the whole wheat genome in a chromosome‐by‐chromosome manner is feasible and that they will be an affordable tool to support the production of improved pseudomolecules.     

Sequence composition, organization, and evolution of the core Triticeae genome

We investigated the composition and the basis of genome expansion in the core Triticeae genome using Aegilops tauschii, the D-genome donor of bread wheat. We sequenced an unfiltered genomic shotgun (trs) and a methylation-filtration (tmf) library of A. tauschii, and analyzed wheat expressed sequence tags (ESTs) to estimate the expression of genes and transposable elements (TEs). The sampled D-genome sequences consisted of 91.6% repetitive elements, 2.5% known genes, and 5.9% low-copy sequences of unknown function. TEs constituted 68.2% of the D-genome compared with 50% in maize and 14% in rice. The DNA transposons constituted 13% of the D-genome compared with 2% in maize. TEs were methylated unevenly within and among elements and families, and most were transcribed which contributed to genome expansion in the core Triticeae genome. The copy number of a majority of repeat families increased gradually following polyploidization. Certain TE families occupied discrete chromosome territories. Nested insertions and illegitimate recombination occurred extensively between the TE families, and a majority of the TEs contained internal deletions. The GC content varied significantly among the three sequence sets examined ranging from 42% in tmf to 46% in trs and 52% in the EST. Based on enrichment of genic sequences, methylation-filtration offers one option, although not as efficient as in maize, for isolating gene-rich regions from the large genome of wheat.     

Impact of Ty3/<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gypsy</Emphasis> group retrotransposon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lila</Emphasis> on the D-Genome specificity of common wheat <Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.

An analysis of the primary structure of BAC clone 112D20 T. aestivum, that contains D-genome specific Ty3-Gypsy-retrotransposon Lila is presented. PCR analysis of nulli-tetrasomic and deletion lines of T. aestivum allowed to localize this BAC clone in the distal region of the long arm of chromosome 5D. Characteristic feature of BAC clone 112D20 is a high concentration of Ty3-Gypsy-retrotransposons (61.7%), and low content of the genes (1.2%). Only a single open reading frame was revealed homologous to an unknown gene of Ae. tauschii. Specific to the D-genome Ty3-Gypsy-retrotransposon Lila in the BAC clone 112D20 is 14 kb in length and contains unequal in size long terminal repeats. The data of in situ hybridization and PCR analysis of different Triticeae species suggest that this retroelement was amplified within the ancestral species of Ae. tauschii, the donor D-genome. The suggested time of amplification based on estimation of insertion time of Lila 112D20 is 1.7 million years, which corresponds to the formation of the first allopolyploid forms of wheat. Based on comparison with the previously obtained data, it is concluded that the amplification of retroelements specific to each genome of wheat took place during formation of the diploid progenitors of these genomes.     

Conserved synteny of genes between chromosome 15 of Bombyx mori and a chromosome of Manduca sexta shown by five-color BAC-FISH.

The successful assignment of the existing genetic linkage groups (LGs) to individual chromosomes and the second-generation linkage map obtained by mapping a large number of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) contigs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, together with public nucleotide sequence databases, offer a powerful tool for the study of synteny between karyotypes of B. mori and other lepidopteran species. Conserved synteny of genes between particular chromosomes can be identified by comparatively mapping orthologous genes of the corresponding linkage groups with the help of BAC-FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization). This technique was established in B. mori for 2 differently labeled BAC probes simultaneously hybridized to pachytene bivalents. To achieve higher-throughput comparative mapping using BAC-FISH in Lepidoptera, we developed a protocol for five-color BAC-FISH, which allowed us to map simultaneously 6 different BAC probes to chromosome 15 in B. mori. We identified orthologs of 6 B. mori LG15 genes (RpP0, RpS8, eIF3, RpL7A, RpS23, and Hsc70) for the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, and selected the ortholog-containing BAC clones from an M. sexta BAC library. All 6 M. sexta BAC clones hybridized to a single M. sexta bivalent in pachytene spermatocytes. Thus, we have confirmed the conserved synteny between the B. mori chromosome 15 and the corresponding M. sexta chromosome (hence provisionally termed chromosome 15).     

Characterization of low-molecular-weight glutenin genes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegilops tauschii</Emphasis>

This paper reports the characterization of the low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin gene family of Aegilops tauschii (syn. Triticum tauschii), the D-genome donor of hexaploid wheat. By analysis of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones positive for hybridization with an LMW glutenin probe, seven unique LMW glutenin genes were identified. These genes were sequenced, including their untranslated 3 and 5 flanking regions. The deduced amino acid sequences of the genes revealed four putative active genes and three pseudogenes. All these genes had a very high level of similarity to LMW glutenins characterized in hexaploid wheat. The predicted molecular weights of the mature proteins were between 32.2 kDa and 39.6 kDa, and the predicted isoelectric points of the proteins were between 7.53 and 8.06. All the deduced proteins were of the LMW-m type. The organization of the seven LMW glutenin genes appears to be interspersed over at least several hundred kilo base pairs, as indicated by the presence of only one gene or pseudogene per BAC clone. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA of Ae. tauschii and the BAC clones containing the seven LMW glutenin genes indicated that the BAC clones contained all LMW glutenin-hybridizing bands present in the genome. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of an LMW glutenin extract from Ae. tauschii was conducted and showed the presence of at least 11 distinct proteins. Further analysis indicated that some of the observed proteins were modified gliadins. These results suggest that the actual number of typical LMW glutenins may in fact be much lower than previously thought, with a number of modified gliadins also being present in the polymeric fraction.     

Multicolor FISH mapping of the dioecious model plant,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Silene latifolia</Emphasis>

Silene latifolia is a key plant model in the study of sex determination and sex chromosome evolution. Current studies have been based on genetic mapping of the sequences linked to sex chromosomes with analysis of their characters and relative positions on the X and Y chromosomes. Until recently, very few DNA sequences have been physically mapped to the sex chromosomes of S. latifolia. We have carried out multicolor fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of S. latifolia chromosomes based on the presence and intensity of FISH signals on individual chromosomes. We have generated new markers by constructing and screening a sample bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for appropriate FISH probes. Five newly isolated BAC clones yielded discrete signals on the chromosomes: two were specific for one autosome pair and three hybridized preferentially to the sex chromosomes. We present the FISH hybridization patterns of these five BAC inserts together with previously described repetitive sequences (X-43.1, 25S rDNA and 5S rDNA) and use them to analyze the S. latifolia karyotype. The autosomes of S. latifolia are difficult to distinguish based on their relative arm lengths. Using one BAC insert and the three repetitive sequences, we have constructed a standard FISH karyotype that can be used to distinguish all autosome pairs. We also analyze the hybridization patterns of these sequences on the sex chromosomes and discuss the utility of the karyotype mapping strategy presented to study sex chromosome evolution and Y chromosome degeneration.Communicated by J.S. Heslop-Harrison     

Construction of a subgenomic BAC library specific for chromosomes 1D, 4D and 6D of hexaploid wheat

The analysis of the hexaploid wheat genome (Triticum aestivum L., 2n=6x=42) is hampered by its large size (16,974 Mb/1C) and presence of three homoeologous genomes (A, B and D). One of the possible strategies is a targeted approach based on subgenomic libraries of large DNA inserts. In this work, we purified by flow cytometry a total of 10⁷ of three wheat D-genome chromosomes: 1D, 4D and 6D. Chromosomal DNA was partially digested with HindIII and used to prepare a specific bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library. The library (designated as TA-subD) consists of 87,168 clones, with an average insert size of 85 kb. Among these clones, 53% had inserts larger than 100 kb, only 29% of inserts being shorter than 75 kb. The coverage was estimated to be 3.4-fold, giving a 96.5% probability of identifying a clone corresponding to any sequence on the three chromosomes. Specificity for chromosomes 1D, 4D and 6D was confirmed after screening the library pools with single-locus microsatellite markers. The screening indicated that the library was not biased and gave an estimated coverage of sixfold. This is the second report on BAC library construction from flow-sorted plant chromosomes, which confirms that dissecting of the complex wheat genome and preparation of subgenomic BAC libraries is possible. Their availability should facilitate the analysis of wheat genome structure and evolution, development of cytogenetic maps, construction of local physical maps and map-based cloning of agronomically important genes.     

W-derived BAC probes as a new tool for identification of the W chromosome and its aberrations in Bombyx mori

We isolated four W chromosome-derived bacterial artificial chromosome (W-BAC) clones from Bombyx mori BAC libraries by the polymerase chain reaction and used them as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on chromosome preparations from B. mori females. All four W-BAC probes surprisingly highlighted the whole wild-type W sex chromosome and also identified the entire original W-chromosomal region in W chromosome-autosome translocation mutants. This is the first successful identification of a single chromosome by means of BAC-FISH in species with holokinetic chromosomes. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) by using female-derived genomic probes highlighted the W chromosome in a similar chromosome-painting manner. Besides the W, hybridization signals of W-BAC probes also occurred in telomeric and/or subtelomeric regions of the autosomes. These signals coincided well with those of female genomic probes except one additional GISH signal that was observed in a large heterochromatin block of one autosome pair. Our results support the opinion that the B. mori W chromosome accumulated transposable elements and other repetitive sequences that also occur, but scattered, elsewhere in the respective genome. Edited by: E.R. Schmidt     

Construction of a garlic BAC library and chromosomal assignment of BAC clones using the FISH technique.

For molecular and cytogenetic studies, two partial bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries of the garlic cultivar Allium sativum L. 'Danyang' were constructed using high molecular weight (HMW) garlic DNA, the pBAC1-SACB1 vector, and the pIndigoBAC536 vector. The average insert size of the BAC library was about 90 kb. The sequence compositions of the BAC clones were characterized by Southern hybridization with garlic genomic DNA and a repetitive sequence clone of garlic. Two BAC clones with weak signals (thus implying mostly unique sequences), GBC2-5e and GBC2-4d, were selected for FISH analysis. FISH analysis localized the GBC2-5e (approximately 100 kb) BAC clone on the long arm of garlic chromosome 7. The other BAC clone, GBC2-4d (approximately 110 kb), gave rise to discrete FISH signals on a mid-size early metaphase chromosome. The FISH screening with BAC clones proved to be a useful resource for molecular cytogenetic studies of garlic, and will be useful for further mapping and sequencing studies of important genes of this plant.     

BAC FISH analysis in Allium cepa.

Onion (Allium cepa L.; 1C=15,000 Mb) is an agriculturally important plant. The genome of onion has been extensively studied at the conventional cytogenetic level, but molecular analyses have lagged behind due to its large genome size. To overcome this bottleneck, a partial bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of onion was constructed. The average insert size of the BAC library was about 100 kb. A total of 48,000 clones, corresponding to 0.32 genome equivalent, were obtained. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) screening resulted in identification of BAC clones localized on centromeric, telomeric, or several limited interstitial chromosomal regions, although most of the clones hybridized with entire chromosomes. The partial BAC library proved to be a useful resource for molecular cytogenetic studies of onion, and should be useful for further mapping and sequencing studies of important genes of this plant. BAC FISH screening is a powerful method for identification of molecular cytogenetic markers in large-genome plants.