Development of Scar Markers Tightly Linked to the CTV Resistance Gene in Poncirus trifoliata

Citrus tristiza virus (CTV) is the most-significant viral pathogen of citrus in the world. Rapid decline of trees on sour orange and stem pitting of grapefruit and sweet orange, two diseases induced by CTV, severely jeopardize citrus production worldwide. It is recognized that all future rootstocks should be resistant to this virus, and scion resistance to stem pitting stains is desirable. To facilitate introgression of the CTV resistance gene from Poncirus trifoliata and development of CTV-resistant varieties in citrus, gene mapping projects have been initiated and more than a dozen RAPD markers have been identified with tight linkage to the resistance gene. As part of our efforts to use marker-assisted selection with a large number of crosses, and ultimately to accomplish map-based cloning of the CTV resistance gene, we have been converting the most tightly linked RAPD markers into SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) markers by cloning, sequencing the marker fragments, and designing locus-specific primers. One codominant and several dominant SCARs have been developed thus far. The updated progress and utilization of these SCARs in marker-assisted selection and possibly in characterization of a BAC library will be presented and discussed.