A PCR‐based DNA marker for detection of mutant and normal alleles of the <i>Wx‐D1</i> gene of wheat

Abstract

Abstract To assist waxy wheat breeding a DNA marker was developed to discriminate mutant and normal alleles at the Wx‐D1 locus. This polymerase chain reaction‐based marker distinguishes the mutant from the normal allele by targeting the previously reported deletion basis of the mutant. The marker codominantly identifies the normal allele of the Wx‐D1 gene from the mutant allele originated from the Chinese landrace ‘Baihoumai’. However, attempts with a number of primer combinations targeting this deletion failed to amplify the corresponding fragment from an unrelated wheat line (NP150) that has a mutant null allele at the same locus. This indicates that NP150 has a different mutant allele from that of ‘Baihoumai’. This marker is a useful tool to identify wheat cultivars with mutant and normal alleles of the Wx‐D1 gene, and is used in marker‐assisted selection of the Wx‐D1 gene in our waxy wheat breeding programme.