The efficiency of molecular markers of the <i>SKr</i> suppressor gene that determines the crossability of common wheat with rye

BACKGROUND: Among the genes involved in the control of crossing between common wheat and rye, the dominant suppressor SKr (Suppressor of crossability) having the major effect on inhibiting crossability is the most studied. DNA-markers have been developed for this gene. There are cases of successful application of some of them in wheat breeding, but there is practically no information about their diagnostic efficiency in screening of ex situ collections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate the effectiveness of SKr markers Xcfb341, TGlc2, gene12 и gene13 to identify forms with high crossability with rye, we studied 103 bread wheat accessions from the VIR collection with different seed set (093%) after pollinated with rye. RESULTS: Efficiency in detection crossable forms (upper 15%) was demonstrated by markers Xcfb341, TGlc2 and gene12. No significant allele-trait association was found for gene13 marker. Ten haplotypes were identified based on four markers. Five haplotypes were revealed for accessions from China, while two of them were associated with high crossability. Eleven accessions including the line L6-HSR were heterogenic in markers. For this line the relationship of diagnostic fragments with the crossability level observed in the field has been experimentally confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The SKr gene markers studied can be used for accessions searching at ex situ collections that potentially have high crossability with rye, for controlling the retention of recessive skr alleles when regenerating seed accessions, as well as in breeding programs.