Abstract
First flower node (FFN) is an important trait for evaluating fruit earliness in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), but the genetic mechanisms that control FFN are still poorly understood. In the present study, we developed 249 F2 plants derived from an intraspecific cross between the inbred pepper lines Z4 and Z5. Thirty plants with the highest FFN and 30 plants with the lowest FFN were chosen and their DNAs were pooled according to phenotype to construct two bulked DNA pools. Specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) was combined with bulked segregant analysis (BSA) to identify candidate regions related to FFN. According to our genetic analysis, the FFN trait is quantitatively inherited. A total of 106,848 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were obtained, and 393 high-quality SNP markers associated with FFN were detected. Ten candidate regions within an interval of 3.98 Mb on chromosome 12 harboring 23 candidate genes were identified as closely correlated with FFN. Five genes (CA12g15130, CA12g15160, CA12g15370, CA12g15360, and CA12g15390) are predicted based on their annotations to be associated with expression of the FFN trait. The present study demonstrates an efficient genetic mapping strategy and lays a good foundation for molecular marker-assisted breeding using SNP markers linked to FFN and for cloning and functional analysis of the key genes controlling FFN.
Highlights
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), Solanaceae, has a sympodial shoot structure with a solitary flower known as the first flower
Our objectives were to: 1) investigate the mode of inheritance of the first flower node (FFN) trait in pepper; 2) identify the genomic regions correlated with variation in FFN; and 3) identify candidate genes and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers linked to the FFN trait in pepper
An F2 population comprising 249 plants developed from the Z4 × Z5 cross was used to investigate the inheritance of FFN, which ranged in value from 8 to 20 (Fig 1)
Summary
Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), Solanaceae, has a sympodial shoot structure with a solitary flower known as the first flower. The pepper shoot apical meristem (SAM) produces stems and leaves that are arranged in an alternate spiral pattern. The SAM can later undergo a transition to an inflorescence meristem that subsequently develops into the first flower at start of the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth [1, 2]. Candidate genes for first flower node in pepper collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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