A reference molecular linkage map for globe artichoke

Here we report on the development of new C. cardunculus maps based on an F1 progeny obtained by crossing a globe artichoke clone of ‘Romanesco C3’, as female parent, with cultivated cardoon, as male parent. For the paternal map, 177 markers were assignable to 17 major linkage groups, spanning 1015.5 cM and with a mean inter-marker distance of 5.7 cM. For the maternal map, 326 loci were arranged into 20 major linkage groups, which spanned 1486.8 cM with a mean marker density of 4.5 cM. The presence of 84 loci (32 SSRs, 49 AFLPs and 3 SNPs) in common between a previously developed map and the present ‘Romanesco C3’ map, allowed the definition of 17 homologous linkage groups, equal to the haploid chromosomal number of the species, providing a firm basis for the development of a reference map.