scholarly journals Identification of favorable SNP alleles related to fruit traits in diverse apple germplasm

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Reum Han ◽  
Seon-Ae Kim ◽  
Gi Hoon Kim ◽  
Cheol Choi

Abstract Background: The Apple ( Malus × domestica Borkh.) is a valuable fruit crop worldwide, and receives considerable attention as one of the model plants of the Rosaceae family. The primary purpose of apple breeding programs is to generate novel apple cultivars with fruit quality traits that have high commercial value. To advance fruit-tree breeding systems, it is necessary to investigate the association between genomes and targeted traits. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are promising to analyze the associations between the genome and traits in fruit tree crops. Results: In this study, we evaluated 10 major fruit quality traits including titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids content (SSC), and skin color from 301 apple germplasms for four years (2015-2018). GWAS analysis was performed using SNP data generated via genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and identified SNPs significantly related to the fruit quality traits. For TA, significant association loci were detected on chromosome 16 and genes in the candidate regions related to malate transporter. The GWAS loci of SSC was found on chromosome 15, where genes related to sucrose synthase and transporter are located. Significant SNPs associated with fruit skin color were identified on genetic region near the MYB1 gene on chromosome 9, which regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis. SNPs identified by the GWAS and Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis were further confirmed with high resolution melting (HRM) analysis to discover specific polymorphisms in the melting curve. Conclusion: Overall, these results could identify several candidate genes and SNP markers associated with the fruit quality traits, thus validation of these SNPs enabled marker-assisted selection (MAS). The candidate SNPs and genes observed in this study will contribute to a better understanding of genetic basis for the important fruit quality traits and provide tools for generation of novel cultivars with the quality traits for advancement of apple industry.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Reum Han ◽  
Seon-Ae Kim ◽  
Gi Hoon Kim ◽  
Cheol Choi

Abstract Background: The Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is a valuable fruit crop worldwide, and receives considerable attention as one of the model plants of the Rosaceae family. The primary purpose of apple breeding programs is to generate novel apple cultivars with fruit quality traits that have high commercial value. To advance fruit-tree breeding systems, it is necessary to investigate the association between genomes and targeted traits. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are promising to analyze the associations between the genome and traits in fruit tree crops.Results: In this study, we evaluated 10 major fruit quality traits including titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids content (SSC), and skin color from 301 apple germplasms for four years (2015-2018). GWAS analysis was performed using SNP data generated via genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and identified SNPs significantly related to the fruit quality traits. For TA, significant association loci were detected on chromosome 16 and genes in the candidate regions related to malate transporter. The GWAS loci of SSC was found on chromosome 15, where genes related to sucrose synthase and transporter are located. Significant SNPs associated with fruit skin color were identified on genetic region near the MYB10 gene on chromosome 9, which regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis. SNPs identified by the GWAS were further confirmed with high resolution melting (HRM) analysis to discover specific polymorphisms in the melting curve.Conclusion: Overall, these results could identify several candidate genes and SNP markers associated with the fruit quality traits, thus validation of these SNPs enabled marker-assisted selection (MAS). The candidate SNPs and genes observed in this study will contribute to a better understanding of genetic basis for the important fruit quality traits and provide tools for generation of novel cultivars with the quality traits for advancement of apple industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Yue Zhang ◽  
Cheng Xue ◽  
Hongju Hu ◽  
Jiaming Li ◽  
Yongsong Xue ◽  
...  

AbstractPear is a major fruit tree crop distributed worldwide, yet its breeding is a very time-consuming process. To facilitate molecular breeding and gene identification, here we have performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on eleven fruit traits. We identify 37 loci associated with eight fruit quality traits and five loci associated with three fruit phenological traits. Scans for selective sweeps indicate that traits including fruit stone cell content, organic acid and sugar contents might have been under continuous selection during breeding improvement. One candidate gene, PbrSTONE, identified in GWAS, has been functionally verified to be involved in the regulation of stone cell formation, one of the most important fruit quality traits in pear. Our study provides insights into the complex fruit related biology and identifies genes controlling important traits in pear through GWAS, which extends the genetic resources and basis for facilitating molecular breeding in perennial trees.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassia da Silva Linge ◽  
Lichun Cai ◽  
Wanfang Fu ◽  
John Clark ◽  
Margaret Worthington ◽  
...  

Peach is one of the most important fruit crops in the world, with the global annual production about 24.6 million tons. The United States is the fourth-largest producer after China, Spain, and Italy. Peach consumption has decreased over the last decade, most likely due to inconsistent quality of the fruit on the market. Thus, marker-assisted selection for fruit quality traits is highly desired in fresh market peach breeding programs and one of the major goals of the RosBREED project. The ability to use DNA information to select for desirable traits would enable peach breeders to efficiently plan crosses and select seedlings with desired quality traits early in the selection process before fruiting. Therefore, we assembled a multi-locus genome wide association study (GWAS) of 620 individuals from three public fresh market peach breeding programs (Arkansas, Texas, and South Carolina). The material was genotyped using 9K SNP array and the traits were phenotyped for three phenological (bloom date, ripening date, and days after bloom) and 11 fruit quality-related traits (blush, fruit diameter, fruit weight, adherence, fruit firmness, redness around pit, fruit texture, pit weight, soluble solid concentration, titratable acidity, and pH) over three seasons (2010, 2011, and 2012). Multi-locus association analyses, carried out using mrMLM 4.0 and FarmCPU R packages, revealed a total of 967 and 180 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs), respectively. Among the 88 consistently reliable QTNs detected using multiple multi-locus GWAS methods and/or at least two seasons, 44 were detected for the first time. Fruit quality hotspots were identified on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8. Out of 566 candidate genes detected in the genomic regions harboring the QTN clusters, 435 were functionally annotated. Gene enrichment analyses revealed 68 different gene ontology (GO) terms associated with fruit quality traits. Data reported here advance our understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying important fruit quality traits and further support the development of DNA tools for breeding.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Showkat A. Zargar ◽  
Aijaz A. Wani ◽  
M. I. S. Saggoo

Abstract Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a world-wide highly appreciated fruit, with its attractive colour, soft texture and typical flavour. In the current investigation, 68 apricot accessions collected from Jammu and Kashmir, India were analysed to determine the measure of variation using 12 qualitative and 16 quantitative traits with an aim to identify superior apricot accessions with excellent fruit quality traits. High phenotypic variability was observed among the studied apricot accessions with significant differences among most of the qualitative and quantitative traits. Fruit-related characteristics including fruit weight, fruit length, fruit ratio, fruit firmness, fruit shape, fruit suture, stone weight, kernel weight and stone shape were the most diverse with a high coefficient of variation (>30%). One way analysis of variance showed significant differences (P < 0.0001) among all the quantitative traits. Significant positive and negative correlations were observed between all the agronomically important fruit quality traits. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that 75.34% of the variability was defined by the first eight components. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram, based on all traits measured grouped the accessions into two main clusters with several sub-clusters. Both UPGMA dendrogram and PCA scatter plot formed a cluster of 14 accessions, having the highest values regarding most important fruit quality traits such as fruit weight, fruit length and width, fruit ratio, stone weight and kernel weight can be treated as potentially superior accessions. These accessions can be used directly for cultivation and in future apricot breeding programmes. The present findings are promising for genetic resource management, cultivar improvement and commercial applications of apricot in Jammu and Kashmir, India.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molla F. Mengist ◽  
Hamed Bostan ◽  
Elisheba Young ◽  
Kristine L. Kay ◽  
Nicholas Gillitt ◽  
...  

AbstractFruit quality traits play a significant role in consumer preferences and consumption in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L). The objectives of this study were to construct a high-density linkage map and to identify the underlying genetic basis of fruit quality traits in blueberry. A total of 287 F1 individuals derived from a cross between two southern highbush blueberry cultivars, ‘Reveille’ and ‘Arlen’, were phenotyped over three years (2016–2018) for fruit quality-related traits, including titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, and fruit weight. A high-density linkage map was constructed using 17k single nucleotide polymorphisms markers. The linkage map spanned a total of 1397 cM with an average inter-loci distance of 0.08 cM. The quantitative trait loci interval mapping based on the hidden Markov model identified 18 loci for fruit quality traits, including seven loci for fruit weight, three loci for titratable acidity, five loci for pH, and three loci for total soluble solids. Ten of these loci were detected in more than one year. These loci explained phenotypic variance ranging from 7 to 28% for titratable acidity and total soluble solid, and 8–13% for pH. However, the loci identified for fruit weight did not explain more than 10% of the phenotypic variance. We also reported the association between fruit quality traits and metabolites detected by Proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis directly responsible for these fruit quality traits. Organic acids, citric acid, and quinic acid were significantly (P < 0.05) and positively correlated with titratable acidity. Sugar molecules showed a strong and positive correlation with total soluble solids. Overall, the study dissected the genetic basis of fruit quality traits and established an association between these fruit quality traits and metabolites.


2015 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Argyris ◽  
Marta Pujol ◽  
Ana Montserrat Martín-Hernández ◽  
Jordi Garcia-Mas

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