Eggplant is one of the most important vegetables worldwide, with some varieties displaying prickles. These prickles, present on the leaves, stems, and fruit calyxes, posing challenges during cultivation, harvesting, and transportation, making them an undesirable agronomic trait. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying prickle morphogenesis in eggplant remain poorly understood, impeding genetic improvements. In this study, genetic analyses revealed that prickle morphogenesis is governed by a single dominant nuclear gene, termed (). Subsequent bulk segregant RNA-sequencing (BSR-seq) and linkage analysis preliminarily mapped to chromosome 6. This locus was then fine mapped to a 9233 bp interval in a segregating population of 1109 plants, harboring only one candidate gene, , which encodes a LONELY GUY (LOG)-family cytokinin biosynthetic enzyme. Expression analyses via transcriptome and qRT-PCR demonstrate that is predominantly expressed in immature prickles. CRISPR-Cas9 knockout experiments targeting in prickly parental line 'PI 381159' abolished prickles across all tissues, confirming its critical role in prickle morphogenesis. Sequence analysis of pinpointed variations solely within the non-coding region. We developed a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) marker from a distinct SNP located at -735-bp within the promoter, finding significant association with prickle variation in 190 eggplant germplasms. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing prickle development in eggplant and facilitate the use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) for breeding prickleless cultivars.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11226868 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhae134 | DOI Listing |
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!