α-Amylase structural genes in rye

Rye α-Amy1, α-Amy2, and α-Amy3 genes were studied in the cross between inbred lines using wheat α-amylase cDNA probes. The α-Amy1 and α-Amy2 probes uncovered considerable restriction fragment length polymorphism, whereas the α-Amy3 region was much more conserved. The numbers of restriction fragments found and the F2 segregation data suggest that there are three α-Amy1 genes, two or three α-Amy2 genes, and three α-Amy3 genes in rye. These conclusions were supported by a simultaneous study of α-amylase isozyme polymorphism. The F2 data showed the three individual α-Amy1 genes to span a distance of 3cM at the locus on chromosome 6RL. The genes were mapped relative to other RFLP markers on 6RL. On chromosome 7RL two α-Amy2 genes were shown to be separated by 5 cM. Linkage data within α-Amy3 on 5RL were not obtained since RFLP could be detected at only one of the genes.