title: QTL mapping in eggplant reveals clusters of yield-related loci and orthology with the tomato genome.
abstract: In spite of its widespread cultivation and nutritional and economic importance, the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genome has not been extensively explored. A lack of knowledge of the patterns of inheritance of key agronomic traits has hindered the exploitation of marker technologies to accelerate its genetic improvement. An already established F2 intraspecific population of eggplant bred from the cross '305E40' x '67/3' was phenotyped for 20 agronomically relevant traits at two sites. Up to seven quantitative trait loci (QTL) per trait were identified and the percentage of the phenotypic variance (PV) explained per QTL ranged from 4 to 93%. Not all the QTL were detectable at both sites, but for each trait at least one major QTL (PV explained ≥ 10%) was identified. Although no detectable QTL x environment interaction was found, some QTL identified were location-specific. Many of the fruit-related QTL clustered within specific chromosomal regions, reflecting either linkage and/or pleiotropy. Evidence for putative tomato orthologous QTL/genes was obtained for several of the eggplant QTL. Information regarding the inheritance of key agronomic traits was obtained. Some of the QTL, along with their respective linked markers, may be useful in the context of marker-assisted breeding.
authors.affiliation: DISAFA - Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Portis
authors.affiliation: DISAFA - Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barchi
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORL, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo, Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toppino
authors.affiliation: DISAFA - Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanteri
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORA, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Monsampolo del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
authors.forename: Nazzareno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Acciarri
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORA, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Monsampolo del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
authors.forename: Nazzareno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Felicioni
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORA, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Monsampolo del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fusari
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORL, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo, Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barbierato
authors.affiliation: DISAFA - Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cericola
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-GPG, Genomic Research Centre, Fiorenzuola d'Arda, Piacenza, Italy ; Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-RIS, Rice Research Unit, Vercelli, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valè
authors.affiliation: Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - CRA-ORL, Research Unit for Vegetable Crops, Montanaso Lombardo, Lodi, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe Leonardo
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rotino
mesh_terms: D032461:Chromosomes, Plant; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D005638:Fruit / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D032323:Solanum melongena / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D026801:Synteny