Inheritance and genetic mapping of two nuclear genes involved in nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibility in peas (Pisum sativum L.)

Genetic analysis was performed to finely map and assess the mode of inheritance of two unlinked nuclear genes Scs1 and Scs2 involved in incompatibility of the nuclear genome of the cultivated pea Pisum sativum subsp. sativum with the cytoplasm of the wild pea of the subspecies P. sativum subsp. elatius, accession VIR320. Based on the segregation of genotypes in the progeny of the test-crosses, we concluded that if the cytoplasm was inherited from the wild pea VIR320, the Scs1 allele from the cultivated pea was gametophyte lethal and sporophyte recessive lethal. The Scs2 allele from the cultivated pea reduced male gametophyte viability. In homozygote, Scs2 from cultivated parent brought about nuclear-cytoplasmic conflict manifested as chlorophyll deficiency, reduction of blade organs, and low pollen fertility of about 20%. In heterozygote, Scs1 and Scs2 genes reduced pollen fertility by ca 50 and 30%, respectively. The Scs1 and Scs2 genes involved in nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibility were genetically mapped. The distance between the markers bordering Scs1 comprised about 2.5 cM on linkage group III. The map distance between the bordering markers in the neighborhood of Scs2 varied substantially from cross to cross in the range of 2.0-15.1 cM on linkage group V.