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Construction of a SSR-based genetic map and identification of QTL for domestication traits using recombinant inbred lines from a cross between wild and cultivated cowpea (V. unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

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Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a grain legume commonly grown and consumed in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. A genetic linkage map was constructed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and a recombinant inbred (RI) population of159 individuals derived from a cross between the breeding line 524B, a California Blackeye, and 219-01, a perennial wild cowpea from Kenya. Out of 912 primer combinations predicted to amplify SSRs in cowpea, 639 reliably produced amplification products in PCR assays and 202 (31.6%) were polymorphic between the two parents. These polymorphic SSRs were used to construct a genetic map consisting of 11 linkage groups (LGs) spanning 677 cM, with an average distance between markers of 3 cM. Agronomic traits related to domestication (seed weight, pod shattering) were analyzed together with the genotypic data. Six quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seed size were revealed with the phenotypic variation ranging from 8.9 to 19.1%. Four QTL for pod shattering were identified with the phenotypic variation ranging from 6.4 to 17.2%. The QTL for seed size and pod shattering mainly cluster in two areas of LGs 1 and 10, facilitating the use of marker-assisted selection to eliminate undesirable wild phenotypes in breeding activities involving introgression of traits from wild germplasm. The generation of an SSR-based molecular map and additional trait-linked markers also contributes to the expanding tool kit available to cowpea breeders, especially in Africa.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Theresa Fulton for suggestions on data analysis, as well as Beatrice Elesani from ICIPE Muhaka field station (Kenya) for her contribution to the building of the recombinant inbred family. These studies were supported by funds from the Kirkhouse Trust and the German Academic Exchange Program (DAAD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department, International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya

    Mebeaselassie Andargie & Remy S. Pasquet

  2. Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22901, USA

    Mebeaselassie Andargie, Bhavani S. Gowda & Michael P. Timko

  3. IRD, UR072, LEGS, BP1, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

    Remy S. Pasquet

  4. Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

    Geoffrey M. Muluvi

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  1. Mebeaselassie Andargie
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  2. Remy S. Pasquet
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  3. Bhavani S. Gowda
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  4. Geoffrey M. Muluvi
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  5. Michael P. Timko
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Correspondence to Michael P. Timko.

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Andargie, M., Pasquet, R.S., Gowda, B.S. et al. Construction of a SSR-based genetic map and identification of QTL for domestication traits using recombinant inbred lines from a cross between wild and cultivated cowpea (V. unguiculata (L.) Walp.). Mol Breeding 28, 413–420 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-011-9598-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-011-9598-2

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