Novel Allelic Gene Variations in () Were Identified in a Genetic Population of Melon ( L.).

Carpel number (CN) is an important trait affecting the fruit size and shape of melon, which plays a crucial role in determining the overall appearance and market value. A unique non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in () is responsible for the variation of CN in ssp. (hereafter ), but it has been unclear in ssp.

CmBr confers fruit bitterness under CPPU treatment in melon.

Many biotic or abiotic factors such as CPPU (N-(2-chloro-pyridin-4-yl)-N'-phenylurea), a growth regulator of numerous crops, can induce bitterness in cucurbits. In melon, cucurbitacin B is the major compound leading to bitterness. However, the molecular mechanism underlying CuB biosynthesis in response to different conditions remains unclear.

Comparative genomics analysis of bHLH genes in cucurbits identifies a novel gene regulating cucurbitacin biosynthesis.

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors (TFs) participate in a variety of biological regulatory processes in plants, and have undergone significant expansion during land plant evolution by gene duplications. In cucurbit crops, several bHLH genes have been found to be responsible for the agronomic traits such as bitterness. However, the characterization of bHLH genes across the genomes of cucurbit species has not been reported, and how they have evolved and diverged remains largely unanswered.