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Research Project: Trait Discovery, Genetics, and Enhancement of Allium, Cucumis, and Daucus Germplasm

Location: Vegetable Crops Research

Title: Genetic linkage mapping and QTL identification for morphology and fruit quality related traits of melon by SNP based CAPS markers

Author
item AMANULLAH, SIKANDAR - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item GAO, PENG - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item AGYEI, BENJAMIN - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item OSAEAB, ARVIND SAROJ - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item YANG, TIANTIAN - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item LIU, SHI - Northeast Agricultural University, China
item Weng, Yiqun
item LUAN, FEISHI - Northeast Agricultural University, China

Submitted to: Scientia Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/28/2020
Publication Date: 2/27/2021
Citation: Amanullah, S., Gao, P., Agyei, B., Osaeab, A., Yang, T., Liu, S., Weng, Y., Luan, F. 2021. Genetic linkage mapping and QTL identification for morphology and fruit quality related traits of melon by SNP based CAPS markers. Scientia Horticulturae. 278(27 February 2021). Article 109849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109849.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2020.109849

Interpretive Summary: Background: Melons around the world are very diverse in their morphology and internal fruit quality, and seed related traits. Understanding the genetic basis of these traits is helpful for melon improvement thought molecular breeding. New sequencing technologies and the feasibility to generate hundreds of thousands of molecular markers make it possible to conduct molecular mapping of economically important traits more straightforward. Findings: In this study, we reported QTL mapping of fruit and seed related traits in melon from crosses between a long-fruited snake melon and round-fruited cantaloupe melon. The two parental lines were resequenced, and SNPs were called, from which 163 cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence (CAPS) markers were developed and used for genetic mapping in an F2 population with 148 plants. The genetic map spanned 1545.4 cM with on average 9.5 cM marker interval. Twenty six QTL were identified for 12 traits from the ovaries (6 QTL), mature fruits (17 QTL) and seeds (3 QTL). A number of QTL clustered on chromosomes 1, 9, and 12 suggesting possible common genetic basis of those traits. Who cares (stakeholders): This work provides insights into the genetic basis of horticulturally important traits in melon, which should be useful for marker assisted breeding in melon of different market classes.

Technical Abstract: Melons exhibit huge diversity of morphology and fruit quality traits. Due to the fabulous advantages, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genetic markers are widely used for dissection of genes and QTL. In this study, we reported genetic mapping and QTL detection for ovary, fruit and seed related traits in melon using whole genome re-sequencing and development of SNP-based cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence (CAPS) markers. Analysis of re-sequencing reads in two parental liens identified 404,083 SNPs, from which CAPS markers were designed . An F2 mapping population with 148 individuals was genotyped with 163 CAPS markers. The resulting genetic map spanned 1545.4cM with on average 9.5 cM marker interval. Twenty six putative QTL on eight chromosomes were identified for 12 traits including 6 major- and 20 minor-effect QTL which could explain 1.8 % to 17.7 % observed phenotypic variance. Among them, 6, 17 and 3 QTL were for ovary-, fruit quality, and seed related traits , respectively, with a number of QTL clustered on chromosomes 1, 9, and 12. This work provides insights into the genetic basis of horticulturally important traits in melon, which should be useful for marker assisted breeding in melon of different market classes.