title: Genetic association of ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3-like sequence with the sex-determining M locus in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).
abstract: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) has served as the model system for sex expression in flowering plants and its sex type is predominantly controlled by two genetic loci, F and M. Ethylene is the major plant hormone that regulates sex expression in cucumber. The current model predicts that ethylene serves as both a promoter of femaleness via the F locus and an inhibitor of the male sex via the M locus. In support of this model, genetic, genomic, and transcript analyses indicate that the F gene encodes a key enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis. In this study, we discovered that the M locus co-segregates with an ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3)-like genomic sequence in an F2 population of 96 individuals. This genetic association agrees with the prediction that the M locus is involved in ethylene signaling, thus providing another line of evidence in favor of the model. In addition, we generated an amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) map of the M locus, which was delimited into a genetic interval of 2.5 cM. The genetic association and the local map will assist the molecular isolation of the M gene using the combination of positional cloning and candidate gene approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095 Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Shiqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhiqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhangjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Huiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sanwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D054458:Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D005030:Ethylenes; D005819:Genetic Markers; C036216:ethylene