Molecular markers for genic male sterility in Chinese cabbage

The gms gene of Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis) conferring a recessive genic male sterility was mapped with AFLP markers. Four markers were found to be tightly linked to the gene with a distance of < 1 cM using a mapping population of 327 individuals. The AFLPs were cloned and sequenced. Sequence derived primers yielded clearly distinguishable PCR fragments representing sequences tightly linked to the gms gene. The sequence tagged site (STS) markers can be used for marker assisted selection of male sterile plants among segregating populations.