title: AlliumMap-A comparative genomics resource for cultivated Allium vegetables.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vegetables of the genus Allium are widely consumed but remain poorly understood genetically. Genetic mapping has been conducted in intraspecific crosses of onion (Allium cepa L.), A. fistulosum and interspecific crosses between A. roylei and these two species, but it has not been possible to access genetic maps and underlying data from these studies easily.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online comparative genomics database, AlliumMap, has been developed based on the GMOD CMap tool at http://alliumgenetics.org. It has been populated with curated data linking genetic maps with underlying markers and sequence data from multiple studies. It includes data from multiple onion mapping populations as well as the most closely related species A. roylei and A. fistulosum. Further onion EST-derived markers were evaluated in the A. cepa x A. roylei interspecific population, enabling merging of the AFLP-based maps. In addition, data concerning markers assigned in multiple studies to the Allium physical map using A. cepa-A. fistulosum alien monosomic addition lines have been compiled. The compiled data reveal extensive synteny between onion and A. fistulosum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The database provides the first online resource providing genetic map and marker data from multiple Allium species and populations. The additional markers placed on the interspecific Allium map confirm the value of A. roylei as a valuable bridge between the genetics of onion and A. fistulosum and as a means to conduct efficient mapping of expressed sequence markers in Allium. The data presented suggest that comparative approaches will be valuable for genetic and genomic studies of onion and A. fistulosum. This online resource will provide a valuable means to integrate genetic and sequence-based explorations of Allium genomes.
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand. john.mccallum@plantandfood.co.nz
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCallum
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shigyo
authors.forename: Yanbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Sjaak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Heusden
authors.forename: Meeghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pither-Joyce
authors.forename: Fernand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kenel
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000490:Allium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000378:metabolism; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000235:genetics; D023281:Genomics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013045:Species Specificity; D014675:Vegetables / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers