A DNA marker for columnar growth habit in apple contains a simple sequence repeat

The columnar mutation 'Wijcik McIntosh' has attracted much attention because of its compact growth habit, which is compatible with high-density plantings. Using bulked segregant analysis, we identified several randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers that displayed a close linkage with the columnar locus (Go), The RAPD marker that displayed the closest linkage was end sequenced to develop a sequence tagged site for rapidly screening segregating populations, A simple sequence repeat (SSR) of (GA)(17) was identified within the DNA fragment, Four allelic forms, including an apparent null allele, could be distinguished among the cultivars tested. The null allele displayed close linkage with Co in two progenies, and we used this marker to identify the location of the gene on the apple linkage map.