Fine physical mapping of Ph1, a chromosome pairing regulator gene in polyploid wheat

The diploid-like chromosome pairing in polyploid wheat is controlled by the Ph1 (pairing homoeologous) gene that is located on chromosome arm 5BL. By using a combination of cytogenetic and molecular techniques, we report the physical location of the Ph1 gene to a submicroscopic chromosome region (Ph1 gene region) that is flanked by the breakpoints of two deletions (5BL-1 and ph1c) and is marked by a DNA probe (XksuS1). The Ph1 gene region is present distal to the breakpoint of deletion 5BL-1 but proximal to the C-band 5BL2.1. Two other DNA probes (Xpsr128 and Xksu75) flank the region-Xpsr128 being proximal and Xksu75 being distal. The estimated size of the region is less than 3 Mb. The chromosome region around the Ph1 gene is high in recombination as the genetic distance of the region between 5BL-1 breakpoint and C-band 5BL2.1 (not resolved by the microscope) is at least 9.3 cM.