The self-incompatibility (S) locus of Antirrhinum resides in a pericentromeric region

The self-incompatibility (S) loci from the Solanaceae, Rosaceae and Scrophulariaceae encode a class of ribonucleases, known as S RNases, which have been shown to control the pistil expression of self-incompatible reaction. In the former two families, the S loci have been shown to be located new centromere. However, the chromosomal location of the S locus in Antirrhinum, a species of the Scrophulariaceae, is not known. To determine its chromosomal location and genomic organization, an S₂ RNase gene and its corresponding 63 kb BAC clone were separately used for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of mitotic metaphase chromosomes of a self-incompatible Antirrhinum line of S₂S₅. The results showed that the S₂ RNase detected a doublet signal near the centromere of the smallest chromosome (2n = 16). Two separate doublet signals of the tested BAC sequence were shown on both sides of the centromeres of all eight pairs of the chromosomes, suggesting that the Antirrhinum S locus is located in a pericentromeric region. Furthermore, a retrotransposon, named RISI (retrotransposon in the S locus) , which has not been identified yet in Antirrhinum, was found next to S₂ RNase. Taken together, the centromeric location of the S locus from the three S-RNase-based self-incompatible families provides a further support on a common origin of their evolution as well as suppressed recombination.