Identification of Molecular Markers Linked to Lf2 Locus in Soybean

Leaflet number of soybean controlled by Lf2 locus is the important trait in photosynthesis and plant type. The objective of this research was to identity molecular markers linked to the lf2 locus. A total of $115F_2$ plants were derived from a cross between normal three-leaflet type Sinpaldalkong (Lf2Lf2) and seven-leaflet mutant type T255 (lf2lf2). All leaflet counts of parents and $F_2$ individual plants were made in the field on fully expanded leaves on the main stem when terminal growth of the main stem had ceased. One-thousand 10-mer oligonucleotide RAPD primers and 664 SSR primers were used. The segregation ratios of 3 : 1 were observed in the $F_2$ population and the Chi-square values strongly suggested that the seven-leaflet was controlled by a single recessive gene. A genetic map was constructed from the 15 segregating markers (9 RAPDs, 5 SSRs, 1 lf2 locus). OPAD03 and OPAI13 RAPD markers were linked to the lf2 locus that controlled seven-leaflet type at a distance of 20.5 and 23.5 cM, respectively. Molecular markers identified in this study linked with lf2 locus will be helpful to locate lf2 locus on the public soybean molecular linkage map and would be useful for tagging the lf2 locus that controls seven-leaflet trait.