Sequential Estimation of Linkage between PCR-Generated Markers and a Target Gene Employing Stepwise Bulked Analysis

PCR-based markers are used for targeting plant genes. However, mapping these markers requires laborious and expensive analysis of individual genotypes. We propose here a sequential procedure for fine mapping of PCR markers relative to a target gene. Stepwise bulked analysis is employed to get a censored estimation of the recombination rate. The sequential estimation is compared to fixed sample size design. In both cases, the proposed procedure can achieve a substantial reduction in the number of PCR runs (up to 90-97% for close linkage) as compared to the standard individual-by-individual analysis.