Retrotransposon-based molecular markers and their applications in fruit trees.

Retrotransposon molecular markers developed based on the special characteristics of transposition and biology of retrotransposons are high polymorphic,dispersed almost throughout the length of all host chromosomes,capable for tracing frequency and history of retrotransposition,and suitable for automation.This paper summarizes the principles and procedures of several widely-used retrotransposon-based molecular markers and their applications in fruit trees,including germplasm identification,genetic diversity assessment,genetic relationship reconstruction,and genetic linkage mapping.This paper will be helpful for the future application of retrotransposon-based molecular techniques in fruit trees.