Chilling sensitivity of four near-isogenic fruit-color genotypes of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbitaceae) and its association with tocopherol content

Two zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) cultivars having dark green fruits, Ambassador and Bareqet, and one having golden-yellow fruits, Goldy, were compared for speed of harvest under field conditions. Plots of Goldy were harvested 18%, fruits 20%, marketable fruits 26% and Grade A fruits 33% faster than those of Ambassador or Bareqet. All three cultivars had an open growth habit and produced nearly identical numbers of fruits. The results indicate that the differences in harvest speed among the cultivars were based mainly on camouflage of the green fruits and contrast of the golden-yellow fruits with the green foliage.Key words: Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, gene B, summer squash, marrow, courgette

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A comprehensive RNA-Seq-based gene expression atlas of the summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) provides insights into fruit morphology and ripening mechanisms

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-021-07683-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aliki Xanthopoulou ◽

Javier Montero-Pau ◽

Belén Picó ◽

Panagiotis Boumpas ◽

Eleni Tsaliki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cucurbita Pepo ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Lateral Roots ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Male Flower ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Gene Expression Atlas ◽

Summer Squash ◽

Expression Atlas

Abstract Background Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo: Cucurbitaceae) are a popular horticultural crop for which there is insufficient genomic and transcriptomic information. Gene expression atlases are crucial for the identification of genes expressed in different tissues at various plant developmental stages. Here, we present the first comprehensive gene expression atlas for a summer squash cultivar, including transcripts obtained from seeds, shoots, leaf stem, young and developed leaves, male and female flowers, fruits of seven developmental stages, as well as primary and lateral roots. Results In total, 27,868 genes and 2352 novel transcripts were annotated from these 16 tissues, with over 18,000 genes common to all tissue groups. Of these, 3812 were identified as housekeeping genes, half of which assigned to known gene ontologies. Flowers, seeds, and young fruits had the largest number of specific genes, whilst intermediate-age fruits the fewest. There also were genes that were differentially expressed in the various tissues, the male flower being the tissue with the most differentially expressed genes in pair-wise comparisons with the remaining tissues, and the leaf stem the least. The largest expression change during fruit development was early on, from female flower to fruit two days after pollination. A weighted correlation network analysis performed on the global gene expression dataset assigned 25,413 genes to 24 coexpression groups, and some of these groups exhibited strong tissue specificity. Conclusions These findings enrich our understanding about the transcriptomic events associated with summer squash development and ripening. This comprehensive gene expression atlas is expected not only to provide a global view of gene expression patterns in all major tissues in C. pepo but to also serve as a valuable resource for functional genomics and gene discovery in Cucurbitaceae.

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Age-related Resistance of Diverse Cucurbit Fruit to Infection by Phytophthora capsici

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.134.2.176 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 134 (2) ◽

pp. 176-182 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Kaori Ando ◽

Sue Hammar ◽

Rebecca Grumet

Keyword(s):

Cucumis Melo ◽

Cucurbita Pepo ◽

Citrullus Lanatus ◽

Phytophthora Capsici ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Age Related ◽

Cucumber Fruit ◽

Summer Squash ◽

Pronounced Reduction ◽

Green Stage

Phytophthora capsici causes severe losses in vegetable production, including many cucurbit crops. Our previous work showed that cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit are most susceptible to P. capsici when they are very young and rapidly elongating, but develop resistance as they approach full length at 10 to 12 days postpollination (DPP). In this study, fruit from seven additional cucurbit crops representing four species, melon (Cucumis melo), butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and zucchini, yellow summer squash, acorn squash, and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), were tested for the effect of fruit development on susceptibility to P. capsici. Field-grown fruit of the different crops varied in overall susceptibility. Zucchini and yellow summer squash were the most susceptible, with the majority of fruit exhibiting water-soaking symptoms within 24 hours postinoculation. Fruit from all of the crops exhibited size-related decrease in susceptibility, but to varying degrees. Cucumber had the most pronounced effect. In infested fields, cucumber fruit were found to be most frequently infected at the blossom end. Comparison of the peduncle and blossom end showed a difference in susceptibility along the length of the fruit for cucumber, butternut squash, and zucchini. Greenhouse-grown, hand-pollinated pumpkin, acorn squash, and butternut squash showed an age-related decrease in susceptibility similar to field-grown fruit. For all of these fruit, a pronounced reduction in susceptibility accompanied the transition from the waxy green to green stage at ≈3 to 8 DPP.

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Foraging Preference of Giant Honeybee, Apis dorsata F., to Selected Horticultural Crops

Journal of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science ◽

10.3126/jiaas.v27i0.700 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. 87-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

KR Neupane ◽

DD Dhakal ◽

RB Thapa ◽

DM Gautam

Keyword(s):

Raphanus Sativus ◽

Cucurbita Pepo ◽

Citrus Limon ◽

Apis Dorsata ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Late Flowering ◽

Horticultural Crops ◽

Summer Squash ◽

Foraging Preference ◽

Bottle Brush

Foraging preference of giant honeybee, Apis dorsata Fab. to selected horticultural crops, litchi, Litchi chinensis Sonner, lemon, Citrus limon (Lin.) Burm. f., bottlebrush, Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels, cucumber, Cucumis sativus Lin., radish, Raphanus sativus Lin., and summer squash, Cucurbita pepo L., was studied during their blooming time at IAAS, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal, 2001. The flowering of all six species of experimental plants started in the first week of March and lasted for two months with a peak flowering from 15 March to 5 April. Foraging preference of bees at 7.30, and 11.00 am and 3.00 pm and 5.30 pm during early, mid and late periods of flowering was assessed. Honeybees foraging at different times of day during early, mid and late flowering periods differed significantly. The highest mean number (8.04/min/m2) of A. dorsata workers was recorded on bottle brush flowers at 7.30 am during early flowering period followed by litchi, summer squash and the lowest (0.25/min/m2) on citrus at 5.30 pm during late flowering period. The bees never visited to the flowers of radish and cucumber. Pollen was preferentially collected from bottlebrush, summer squash and citrus in the morning and nectar from litchi and bottlebrush flowers throughout the day. Pollen foragers spent less time (2.9±1 sec/flower) and visited more flowers (17.9±6/min) when bees collected both pollen and nectar from the same plant. The number of outgoing and incoming foragers were the highest (59.0±14, 44.0±15/min/colony) at 7.30 am during mid flowering period and the lowest (17.6±7, 17.0±2/min/colony) at 5.30 pm during late flowering period, respectively. Key words: Foraging preference, Apis dorsata, horticultural crops J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 27:87-92 (2006)

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The inheritance of white fruit and stem color in summer squash Cucurbita pepo L.

Euphytica ◽

10.1007/bf00035697 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 249-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. Globerson

Keyword(s):

Cucurbita Pepo ◽

Summer Squash

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Inheritance of resistance to papaya ringspot virus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W) in 'Whitaker' summer squash line

Cropp Breeding and Applied Biotechnology ◽

10.1590/1984-70332015v15n4a36 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 203-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Cícero B Menezes ◽

Wilson R Maluf ◽

Marcos V Faria ◽

Sebastião M Azevedo ◽

Juliano T V Resende ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Control ◽

Cucurbita Pepo ◽

Major Gene ◽

Ringspot Virus ◽

Inheritance Of Resistance ◽

Papaya Ringspot Virus ◽

Broad Sense Heritability ◽

Major Gene Effect ◽

Summer Squash ◽

Parental Lines

Abstract The objective of this work was to study the genetic control of the PRSV-W (Papaya Ringspot Virus - Watermelon Strain) resistance in Cucurbita pepo 'Whitaker' line. Plants of parental lines Whitaker (resistant) and Caserta (susceptible), and of the generations F1, F2, BC11 and BC12 were evaluated for their reactions to PRSV-W. Caserta plants showed severe mosaic symptoms, while Whitaker grew vigorously and remained almost totally symptom-free. Most of the F1, F2 and backcross plants also presented severe mosaic symptoms. Data were used to test a hypothesis of monogenic inheritance under different presumed degrees of dominance, and genetic models were tested using maximum likelihood tests of genetic control. Broad-sense heritability was of 0.57 for the first evaluation. Resistance to PRSV-W in C. pepo 'Whitaker' is due to a major gene effect summed to polygenic effects.

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