Localization of genes for lateral branch and female sex expression and construction of a molecular linkage map in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) with RAPD markers

A cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) molecular linkage map, including 79 random-amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) and two genes, lb for lateral branch and f for female sex expression, is constructed from a cross between a line, S52, with weak lateral growing ability and staminate from Dabieshan Mountains area in China and another line, S06, with strong lateral growing ability and gynoecious from Europe. The map contains nine linkage groups and spans 1110.0 cM with an average distance of 13.7 cM between loci. The lb locus is located in a longer linkage group LG-2 and flanked by two markers, OP-Q5-1 and BC151, in a short linkage group were found to flank f at 13.7 cM and 13.4 cM, respectively. The construction of RAPD map has paved a way for further study of the genes for lateral branch, female sex expression and other agronomic traits in cucumber. The authors contributed equally to this work Supported by the Shanghai Municipal Scientific & Technological Commission (Grant Nos. 033107019 and 02JC14036)