LOCALIZATION OF VICILIN GENES VIA POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION ON MICROISOLATED FIELD BEAN CHROMOSOMES

A new technique is reported for the physical mapping of low copy DNA s equences on plant chromosomes. Individual chromosomes were microisolat ed and their DNA used as the target for the polymerase chain reaction in order to identify the chromosome carrying a specific gene sequence. The use of defined translocation chromosomes further refined the reso lution of the method to a subchromosomal level. To demonstrate the app licability of the procedure genes have been localized coding for vicil in seed storage proteins on the field bean Vicia faba L. in a region w hich includes the centromere and the proximal parts of the short and t he long arms of chromosome II.