XVI International Botanical Congess

A rice linkage map with 2275 DNA markers was constructed. With these markers we were able to establish a YAC physical map with 70% genome coverage. These maps are useful to decode the genetic information in the genome and to realize map-based cloning. In order to understand the localization of expressed genes in rice, YACs carrying the specific EST were screened by PCR based on 3'-UTR sequence of cDNAs. A map with 3000 ESTs localized on YACs has been integrated with the YAC physical map. These markers are now being used for screening a PAC library to make sequence-ready contigs. Sequencing of PACs started last year and an ultimate map identifying any polymorphisms is expected based on the sequence information.