Advances in Molecular Techniques Used Flax Research in China

In this paper, the major achievements in the application of molecular methods in flax research in China are discussed. Some advanced biological technologies in flax breeding program are mentioned that were utilized widely in flax studies, which were also in employed in the fiber crop sector around the world. Special attention has been focused on the new results of flax disease investigations performed through molecular methods, particularly those related to powdery mildew and wilt. A conclusion was drawn that powdery mildew resistance is inherited via a single dominant gene. A label bank was made containing 20000 SAGE LABLE separating from cDNA, through SAGE analysis of genes resistant to powdery mildew. AFLP analysis was performed on wilt. Specific bands, AG/CAG and FuJ7(t), of the wilt resistance gene were found to be closely linked, with a genetic distance of 5.2 cm between them. The AG/CAG segments were recovered, cloned, sequenced, and successfully transformed into a SCAR marker, used for molecular detection and marker-assisted selection breeding. A flax genetic linkage map was constructed with 12 linkage groups. The results revealed that the markers on the map were distributed evenly, and the co-dominant markers in SRAP and SSR were more suitable for the construction of a genetic map in flax. All of the above findings have established a solid foundation for further flax research in China.