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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wenatchee, Washington » Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246384
Title: Utility testing of an apple skin color MdMYB1 marker in two progenies

Author
item Zhu, Yanmin
item EVANS, KATE - Washington State University Extension Service
item PEACE, CAMERON - Washington State University

Submitted to: Molecular Breeding
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/19/2010
Publication Date: 5/5/2010
Citation: Zhu, Y., Evans, K., Peace, C. 2010. Utility testing of an apple skin color MdMYB1 marker in two progenies. Molecular Breeding. doi: 10.1007/s11032-010-9449-6.

Interpretive Summary: Apple fruit skin or peel color is one of the important factors influencing consumer preference and market value. Breeding for new apple cultivars is a long and inefficient process with poor predictability due to its perennial nature, long-juvenility and high heterozygosity of the genomes. A large cross population is normally required for a prolonged period of time before fruit quality, including fruit skin color, can be eventually evaluated; therefore, a reliable molecular marker for apple skin color is highly demanded for marker assisted selection. This way, a potentially large portion of the population can be eliminated at early seedling stage, depending on breeding goal and parent combination. A recently reported allele-specific dCAPS (derived Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic) marker was developed based on the cloning and functional analysis of a transcription factor, MdMYB1, of anthocyanin pathways in apple fruit tissues. In this study, the robustness of this dCAP marker and its potential application was evaluated in different genetic backgrounds of two existing non-selected cross population. Among all tested cultivars except one, a consistent relationship was observed between red fruit color and the presence of allele. In both populations red skin color phenotype of apple fruits correlated in high level with the detection of MdMYB1-1 allele. This dCAP marker showed about 80% predictability in “Cripps’ Pink” x “Honeycrisp” cross population. Even higher percentage of 82% correlation was observed in another population between “Arlet” x “Golden Delicious”. The existence of other potential co-regulators and the problem associated with the banding patterns in some parent combinations were discussed. While the predictability can be improved, the current form of this marker could be a useful tool for marker-assisted selection in apple breeding program.

Technical Abstract: A reported allele-specific dCAP PCR marker associated with apple fruit red skin color was tested in 18 elite breeding parents and two apple cross populations. Among all tested cultivars except one, a consistent relationship was observed between red fruit color and the presence of allele. In both populations red skin color phenotype of apple fruits correlated in high level with the detection of MdMYB1-1 allele. This dCAP marker showed about 80% predictability in “Cripps’ Pink” x “Honeycrisp” cross population. Even higher percentage of 82% correlation was observed in another population between “Arlet” x “Golden Delicious”. The existence of other potential co-regulators and the problem associated with the banding patterns in some parent combinations were discussed. While the predictability can be improved, the current form of this marker could be a useful tool for marker-assisted selection in apple breeding program.