A segregating population from a tomato second cycle hybrid allows the identification of novel QTL for fruit quality traits

Abstract

The domestication process of tomato (Solanum lycopersium L.) resulted in very low variability for most agronomic interesting traits. In this work we explore the variability present in an unusual segregating population obtained by selfing a second cycle hybrid to identify and mapping novel Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for fruit quality traits. With this aim, a molecular characterization of the population by 130 single nucleotide polymorphism designed from genome sequencing of the parental lines was performed, which resulted in a genetic map and the location of seven novel QTL associated with the inheritance of the fruit quality traits: fruit diameter (R2 ranging from 0.179 to 0.207), fruit weight (R2 = 0.171) and fruit shape index (R2 ranging from 0.179 to 0.341). The analysis through the G-statistic allowed to define the consistence of the novel QTL identified, especially those associated to fruit shape index and fruit diameter. This approach has also led to the identification of new codominant molecular markers flanking the QTL which will be useful in future genetic breeding programs.