Development of a new SSR-based linkage map in apricot and analysis of synteny with existing Prunus maps

Linkage maps of the apricot accessions 'Lito' and 'BO 81604311' were constructed using a total of 185 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers sampled from those isolated in peach, almond, apricot and cherry; 74 were derived from a new apricot genomic library enriched for AG/CT microsatellite repeats (UDAp series), and in total, 98 had never been mapped in Prunus before. Eight linkage groups putatively corresponding to the eight haploid apricot chromosomes were identified for each parent. The two maps were 504 and 620 cM long, respectively, with 96 anchor markers showing a complete co-linearity between the two genomes. As few as three gaps larger than 15 cM were present in 'Lito' and six in the male parent; the maps align well with all the available SSR-based Prunus maps through the many common anchor loci. Only occasionally inverted positions between adjacent markers were found, and this can be explained by the small size of cross populations analysed in these Prunus maps and in those reported in literature. The newly developed apricot SSRs will help saturating the existing Prunus maps and will extend the choice of markers in the development of genetic maps for new breeding populations.