The DcMaster Transposon Display maps polymorphic insertion sites in the carrot (Daucus carota L.) genome

DcMaster is a family of PIF/Harbinger-like class II transposable elements identified in carrot. We present a modified Transposon Display molecular marker system allowing amplification of genomic regions containing DcMaster elements. We scored 77 DcMaster Transposon Display (DcMTD) amplicons, of which 54 (70%) were segregating in the F₂ progeny from the cross between wild and cultivated carrot. Segregating amplicons were incorporated into a previously developed molecular linkage map of carrot. Twenty-eight markers were attributed to the wild parent, 23 originated from the cultivated parent, and three markers remained unlinked. The markers were evenly distributed among the nine linkage groups. However, differences in the distribution pattern of DcMaster insertion sites in the genomes of the wild and cultivated parent were observed. Specificity of the obtained amplicons was confirmed by sequencing and three putative DcMaster subfamilies, differing in the sequence of their terminal inverted repeats, were revealed.