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Identification of novel quantitative trait loci for increased lycopene content and other fruit quality traits in a tomato recombinant inbred line population

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Abstract

Epidemiological and clinical studies indicate that a steady dietary intake of bioavailable lycopene, a C40 carotenoid and potent natural antioxidant, may be associated with a decreased incidence of prostate cancer in humans. Since fresh tomatoes and processed tomato products represent approximately 85% of the average human’s dietary lycopene intake, the identification of novel genetic factors which regulate high fruit lycopene content in tomato is imperative for the improvement of nutritional quality in this commercially valuable specialty crop. To understand the genetic control of the extraordinarily high fruit lycopene content in an accession (LA2093) of the tomato wild species Solanum pimpinellifolium, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping study was conducted using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of a cross between LA2093 and a cultivated tomato (S. lycopersicum) breeding line, NCEBR-1. The parental lines, F1 progeny, and F7-F10 RIL populations were grown in replicated field trials in four successive years and evaluated for lycopene content as well as several other traits, including fruit fresh weight, soluble solids content, pH of puree, and plant maturity. The lycopene content of ripe fruit was estimated using three methods: high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), spectrophotometry, and colorimetric assays. Based on these measurements, QTL were identified and compared across generations. Among the QTL identified for lycopene, two QTL, located on chromosomes 7 and 12, had very large effects and were consistent across generations. The genomic intervals in which these two QTL reside do not correspond to known map positions of carotenoid biosynthetic genes, indicating that these QTL may represent novel alleles with potentially important implications for tomato breeding as well as increased understanding of carotenoid accumulation in tomato. Several QTL were also identified for fruit weight, soluble solids content and plant maturity. The potential implications of these results for tomato crop improvement are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by Agricultural Research Funds administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program, and the College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University. The authors graciously thank Dr. Randolph Gardner for providing seed of breeding line NCEBR-1, and all Penn State staff and undergraduates who helped with field experiments and data collection.

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Author notes

  1. Hamid Ashrafi

    Present address: Department of Plant Sciences, Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA

  2. Matthew P. Kinkade

    Present address: Campbell Soup Company, Vegetable R&D—Campbell’s Seeds, 28605, County Road 104, Davis, CA, 95618, USA

  3. Heather L. Merk

    Present address: Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, OARDC, Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Hamid Ashrafi, Matthew P. Kinkade, Heather L. Merk & Majid R. Foolad

  2. The Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Hamid Ashrafi, Heather L. Merk & Majid R. Foolad

  3. The Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Matthew P. Kinkade & Majid R. Foolad

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  1. Hamid Ashrafi
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Correspondence to Majid R. Foolad.

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Hamid Ashrafi and Matthew P. Kinkade contributed equally to this research.

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Ashrafi, H., Kinkade, M.P., Merk, H.L. et al. Identification of novel quantitative trait loci for increased lycopene content and other fruit quality traits in a tomato recombinant inbred line population. Mol Breeding 30, 549–567 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-011-9643-1

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