title: A and MdMYB1 allele-specific markers controlling apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) skin color and suitability for marker-assisted selection.
abstract: Pre-selection for fruit skin color at the seedling stage would be highly advantageous, with marker-assisted selection offering a potential method for apple pre-selection. A and MdMYB1 alleles are allele-specific DNA markers that are potentially associated with apple skin color, and co-segregate with the Rf and Rni loci, respectively. Here, we assessed the potential application of these 2 alleles for marker-assisted breeding across 30 diverse cultivars and 2 apple seedling progenies. The red skin color phenotype was usually associated with the MdMYB1-1 allele and A(1) allele, respectively, while the 2 molecular markers provided approximately 91% predictability in the 'Fuji' x 'Cripps Pink' and 'Fuji' x 'Gala' progenies. The results obtained from the 30 cultivars and 2 progenies were consistent for the 2 molecular markers. Hence, the results supported that Rf and Rni could be located in a gene cluster, or even correspond to alleles of the same gene. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that red/yellow dimorphism is controlled by a monogenic system, with the presence of the red anthocyanin pigmentation being dominant. In addition, our results supported that the practical utilization of the 2 function markers to efficiently and accurately select red-skinned apple cultivars in apple scion breeding programs.
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: L X
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: X X
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China zhaozy@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D003116:Color; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D027845:Malus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors