The Moore Lab
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**Fine mapping of the crossability locus, Kr1, in hexaploid wheat**

Most elite European wheat varieties carry dominant crossability (Kr) genes which reduce the ability to successfully produce interspecific hybrids. This makes the transfer of novel traits from exotic germplasm into elite varieties inefficient. Four Kr genes have been identified in wheat: Kr1 on 5BL, Kr2 on 5AL, Kr3 on 5D and Kr4 on 1A, with Kr1 having the largest effect on crossability.

We have developed markers in order to map the Kr1 locus more precisely. Markers are designed from grass ESTs which show synteny between the wheat chromosome 5BL, rice chromosome 9 and the equivalent region in Brachypodium. We are working with a population which is a cross between Hobbit (non-crossable) and Chinese Spring (CS) (crossable) varieties, where the Hobbit 5BL chromosome has been substituted with the CS 5BL chromosome. The new markers developed have enabled us to identify different recombinant lines. Those lines are now in the process of being scored for seed set when crossed with Petkus Rye and Hordeum bulbosum so that we can fine map the Kr1 locus.