Characterization and high-resolution mapping of a late blight resistance locus similar to R2 in potato

Identification of resistance (R) genes to Phytophthora infestans is an essential step in molecular breeding of potato. We identified three specific R genes segregating in a diploid mapping population. One of the R genes is located on chromosome 4 and proved phenotypically indistinguishable from the Solanum demissum-derived R2, although S. demissum is not directly involved in the pedigree of the population. By bulked segregant analysis combined with a resistance assay, a genetic linkage map of the R2-like locus was constructed with 30 coupling and 23 repulsion phase AFLP markers. Two markers flanking the R2-like locus were applied to screen an extended population of 1,586 offspring. About 103 recombinants were selected, and an accurate high-resolution map was constructed. The R2-like resistance was localized in a 0.4 cM interval and was found co-segregating with four AFLP markers, which can be used to isolate the R2-like gene by map-based gene cloning. By analyzing race-specificity and R gene-specific molecular markers, we also found that an R1-like gene and an additional unknown R gene are segregating in the population.