<p>Fruit skin color is a key quality trait in apricot, strongly influencing consumer preference and market value. However, phenotypic evaluation of this trait is time-consuming and highly dependent on environmental conditions and harvest timing. This study aimed to develop reliable molecular markers associated with apricot skin color to support marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. A major skin color QTL located on chromosome 3 was explored, leading to the identification of an AP2/ERF domain–containing gene involved in carotenoid regulation. Within this gene, both SNP and SSR polymorphisms were characterized. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis validated a highly significant SNP associated with fruit skin color in a segregating ‘Goldrich’ × ‘Currot’ population and in a panel of 57 apricot cultivars. The HRM-based SNP marker accurately discriminated between orange- and yellow-skinned fruits, reaching 100% efficiency in the segregating population and 89.5% in the cultivar set. In parallel, SSR markers developed within the AP2/ERF gene revealed allelic variation associated with skin color, with one SSR marker achieving an efficiency of 93.9%. Allelic and protein sequence reconstruction demonstrated that variation in polyalanine tract length and non-synonymous amino acid substitutions generate functional diversity in the AP2/ERF protein. Notably, this analysis indicated that a marker based on SNP4 (S3_22924316), which directly affects the protein sequence, may provide enhanced discriminatory power. comparable to that previously observed for the SSR-based marker. Overall, these results provide both mechanistic insight into apricot color regulation and practical molecular tools for efficient breeding.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Genetic dissection of apricot fruit skin color (Prunus armeniaca L.) using SNP and SSR molecular markers

  • Germán Ortuño-Hernández,
  • Lorenzo Bergonzoni,
  • Stefano Tartarini,
  • Mónica Moya-Andreo,
  • Jesús López-Alcolea,
  • David Ruiz,
  • Pedro Martínez-Gómez,
  • Luca Dondini,
  • Juan Alfonso Salazar

摘要

Fruit skin color is a key quality trait in apricot, strongly influencing consumer preference and market value. However, phenotypic evaluation of this trait is time-consuming and highly dependent on environmental conditions and harvest timing. This study aimed to develop reliable molecular markers associated with apricot skin color to support marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. A major skin color QTL located on chromosome 3 was explored, leading to the identification of an AP2/ERF domain–containing gene involved in carotenoid regulation. Within this gene, both SNP and SSR polymorphisms were characterized. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis validated a highly significant SNP associated with fruit skin color in a segregating ‘Goldrich’ × ‘Currot’ population and in a panel of 57 apricot cultivars. The HRM-based SNP marker accurately discriminated between orange- and yellow-skinned fruits, reaching 100% efficiency in the segregating population and 89.5% in the cultivar set. In parallel, SSR markers developed within the AP2/ERF gene revealed allelic variation associated with skin color, with one SSR marker achieving an efficiency of 93.9%. Allelic and protein sequence reconstruction demonstrated that variation in polyalanine tract length and non-synonymous amino acid substitutions generate functional diversity in the AP2/ERF protein. Notably, this analysis indicated that a marker based on SNP4 (S3_22924316), which directly affects the protein sequence, may provide enhanced discriminatory power. comparable to that previously observed for the SSR-based marker. Overall, these results provide both mechanistic insight into apricot color regulation and practical molecular tools for efficient breeding.