ORIGIN, DISTRIBUTION AND MAPPING OF RAPD MARKERS FROM WILD PETUNIA SPECIES IN PETUNIA-HYBRIDA HORT LINES

We have established the first linkage map for Petunia hybrida based up on both RAPD and phenotypical markers. The progeny studied consisted o f 100 BC1 individuals derived from the [(St40xTlv1)xTlv1] back-cross. Each morphological marker has previously been mapped onto one of the s even chromosomes. The map consists of 35 RAPD loci of which 24, were a ffected onto chromosomes while 10 loci were not affected. The loci cov ered 262.9 cM with a mean distance of 8.2 cM. They are dispersed over seven linkage groups, of which six are carried on identified chromosom es. The RAPD markers were also applied on a set of ten P hybrida, line s chosen for their diversity and on a set of seven wild species corres ponding to the possible ancestors of the P. hybrida species. The marke rs were found both in the wild species as well as in P. hybrida lines indicating that they are inherited and are stable enough to establish similarities and to suggest relationships between species. Eight out o f the ten lines carry different linkage groups of RAPD markers, which suggest that recombinant events occurred between chromosomes which ori ginated in the wild species.