# US 10,306,851 B2 · Yield QTLs in cucumber plants > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,306,851 B2 - Document ID: US10306851B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/519,454 - Filed: 2015-10-14 - Published: 2017-08-24 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-16 - Assignees: Nunhems B.V. - Applicants: Nunhems B.V. - Inventors: Gerhard T. M. Reuling; Peter Arnold Gijsbert Kraan; Frank Beenders; Marion Van De Wal; Freddy Hermans; Hans-Peter Koelewijn; Steven D. Tanksley; Alexandra M. Casa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10306851B2 ## CPC - A01H 6/346: {Cucumis sativus[cucumber]} - A01H 1/021: {Methods of breeding using interspecific crosses, i.e. interspecies crosses} - A01H 1/045: {using molecular markers} - A01H 5/08: Fruits - C12Q 1/6895: for plants, fungi or algae - C12Q 2600/13: Plant traits - C12Q 2600/156: Polymorphic or mutational markers - A01H: NEW PLANTS OR {NON-TRANSGENIC} PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES ## Abstract The present invention relates to cultivated cucumber plants comprising a yield QTL on chromosome 2 of their genome. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cultivated Cucumis sativus var. sativus plant, or part thereof, comprising an introgression fragment on chromosome 2 in homozygous or heterozygous form, wherein said introgression fragment is the fragment as found on chromosome 2 in seeds of which a representative sample has been deposited under accession number NCUMB 42262, or a smaller fragment derived therefrom, and confers an increase in cucumber fruit yield, and wherein said introgression fragment or smaller fragment comprises at least 1 of the following markers: a) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 01 in SEQ ID NO: 1; b) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 02 in SEQ ID NO: 2; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 03 in SEQ ID NO: 3; d) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 04 in SEQ ID NO: 4; e) the AC or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 05 in SEQ ID NO: 5; f) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 06 in SEQ ID NO: 6; g) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 07 in SEQ ID NO: 7; h) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 08 in SEQ ID NO: 8, i) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 09 in SEQ ID NO: 9, j) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 10 in SEQ ID NO: 10; and/or k) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP 11 in SEQ ID NO: 11. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein said increase in cucumber fruit yield is phenotypically expressed as a significantly higher average number of fruits per plant (FrPP) of the plant line comprising the introgression fragment compared to the genetic control line lacking the introgression fragment when grown under the same environment and/or a significantly higher average fruit weight per plant (GrPP) of the plant line comprising the introgression fragment compared to a genetic control line lacking the introgression fragment when grown under the same environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein said introgression fragment on chromosome 2 comprises at least two of the following markers: a) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_01 in SEQ ID NO: 1; b) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_02 in SEQ ID NO: 2; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_03 in SEQ ID NO: 3; d) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_04 in SEQ ID NO: 4; e) the AC or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_05 in SEQ ID NO: 5; f) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_06 in SEQ ID NO: 6; g) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_07 in SEQ ID NO: 7; h) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_08 in SEQ ID NO: 8; i) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_09 in SEQ ID NO: 9; j) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_10 in SEQ ID NO: 10; and/or k) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_11 in SEQ ID NO: 11. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, further comprising an introgression fragment on chromosome 6 in homozygous or heterozygous form, wherein said introgression fragment is the fragment as found on chromosome 6 in seeds of which a representative sample of seed has been deposited under accession number NCIMB 42262, or a smaller fragment derived therefrom, and confers an increase in cucumber fruit yield, and wherein the introgression fragment or smaller fragment comprises at least 1 of the following markers: a) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_12 in SEQ ID NO: 12; b) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_13 in SEQ ID NO: 13; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_14 in SEQ ID NO: 14; d) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_15 in SEQ ID NO: 15; e) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_16 in SEQ ID NO: 16; f) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_17 in SEQ ID NO: 17; g) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_18 in SEQ ID NO: 18; h) the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_19 in SEQ ID NO: 19; i) the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_20 in SEQ ID NO: 20; j) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_21 in SEQ ID NO: 21; k) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_22 in SEQ ID NO: 22; l) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_23 in SEQ ID NO: 23; m) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_24 in SEQ ID NO: 24; n) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_25 in SEQ ID NO: 25; o) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_26 in SEQ ID NO: 26; p) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_27 in SEQ ID NO: 27; q) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_28 in SEQ ID NO: 28; r) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_29 in SEQ ID NO: 29; and/or s) the GT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_30 in SEQ ID NO: 30. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein said introgression fragment on chromosome 2 comprises at least 2 consecutive markers from the following markers: a) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_01 in SEQ ID NO: 1; b) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_02 in SEQ ID NO: 2; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_03 in SEQ ID NO: 3; d) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_04 in SEQ ID NO: 4; e) the AC or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_05 in SEQ ID NO: 5; f) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_06 in SEQ ID NO: 6; g) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_07 in SEQ ID NO: 7; h) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_08 in SEQ ID NO: 8; i) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_09 in SEQ ID NO: 9; j) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_10 in SEQ ID NO: 10; and k) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_11 in SEQ ID NO: 11. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The plant according to claim 4, wherein said introgression fragment on chromosome 6 comprises at least 2 consecutive markers from the following markers: a) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_12 in SEQ ID NO: 12; b) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_13 in SEQ ID NO: 13; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_14 in SEQ ID NO: 14; d) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_15 in SEQ ID NO: 15; e) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_16 in SEQ ID NO: 16; f) the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_17 in SEQ ID NO: 17; g) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_18 in SEQ ID NO: 18; h) the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_19 in SEQ ID NO: 19; i) the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_20 in SEQ ID NO: 20; j) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_21 in SEQ ID NO: 21; k) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_22 in SEQ ID NO: 22; l) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_23 in SEQ ID NO: 23; m) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_24 in SEQ ID NO: 24; n) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_25 in SEQ ID NO: 25; o) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_26 in SEQ ID NO: 26; p) the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_27 in SEQ ID NO: 27; q) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_28 in SEQ ID NO: 28; r) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_29 in SEQ ID NO: 29; and s) the GT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_30 in SEQ ID NO: 30. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the introgression fragment on chromosome 2 comprises at least 1 of the following markers: a) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_02 in SEQ ID NO: 2; b) the AC or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_05 in SEQ ID NO: 5; c) the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_07 in SEQ ID NO: 7; d) the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_09 in SEQ ID NO: 9; and/or e) the GT or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_10 in SEQ ID NO: 10. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the introgression fragment on chromosome 2 comprises at least the following marker: the CT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_06 in SEQ ID NO: 6. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The plant according to claim 8, wherein the introgression fragment on chromosome 2 comprises at least the following markers: the AC or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_05 in SEQ ID NO: 5; and/or the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_07 in SEQ ID NO: 7. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The plant according to claim 4, wherein the introgression fragment on chromosome 6 comprises at least 1 of the following markers: the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_12 in SEQ ID NO: 12; the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_13 in SEQ ID NO: 13; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_18 in SEQ ID NO: 18; the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_19 in SEQ ID NO: 19; the AC or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_20 in SEQ ID NO: 20; the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_21 in SEQ ID NO: 21; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_22 in SEQ ID NO: 22; the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_23 in SEQ ID NO: 23; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_24 in SEQ ID NO: 24; the AG or GG genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_25 in SEQ ID NO: 25; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_26 in SEQ ID NO: 26; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_28 in SEQ ID NO: 28; and/or the GT or TT genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_30 in SEQ ID NO: 30. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The plant according to claim 10, wherein the introgression fragment on chromosome 6 comprises further at least one of the following markers: the AG or AA genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_13 in SEQ ID NO: 13; the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_18 in SEQ ID NO: 18; and/or the CT or CC genotype for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism marker SNP_28 in SEQ ID NO: 28. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is of one of the following cucumber types: pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, long cucumbers, short cucumbers, European greenhouse cucumbers, Beit-Alpha type cucumbers, oriental trellis type cucumbers, or Asian cucumbers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a single cross F1 hybrid or an inbred line. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a suitable for once-over mechanical harvest. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is not a wild cucumber plant or a landrace, or wherein the plant is a cultivated cucumber of the Eurasian cucumber group, the East Asian cucumber group or the Xishuangbanna cucumber group. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant produces seedless fruits without pollination. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is primarily or entirely gynoecious. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is uniform regarding the morphological characteristics of the fruits produced by said plant. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant produces fruits which at edible maturity have an average fruit length of at least 10 cm and/or a fruit length to diameter ratio of 2 or more. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein said introgression fragment on chromosome 2 is the fragment as found on chromosome 2 in seeds deposited under accession number NCIMB42262. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein said introgression fragment on chromosome 6 is equal to or less than 10 Mb in size, equal to or less than 8 Mb in size, or equal to or less than 3 Mb in size. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The plant according to claim 21, wherein said introgression fragment is at least 0.5 Mb or at least 1 Mb in size. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is an indeterminate cucumber. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) Seeds from which a plant according to claim 1 can be grown. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A cucumber fruit harvested from a plant according to claim 1. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The fruit according to claim 25, wherein the fruit is bitter free at edible harvest. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The fruit according to claim 25, wherein the fruit has a thin skin at edible harvest. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) A plant cell, tissue or plant part of the plant according to claim 1. ### Claim 29 A method for identifying a cultivated C. sativus var. sativus plant comprising an introgression fragment on chromosome 2, wherein said introgression fragment is as found in NCIMB 42262, or a smaller fragment derived therefrom, comprising: a) screening a population of cultivated C. sativus var. sativus plants using a molecular marker assay which detects at least one SNP marker of: SNP_01 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; and b) identifying and/or selecting a plant comprising: i) at least 1 of the SNP markers of SNP_01 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or ii) at least 2 consecutive markers from SNP_01 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or iii) at least 1 marker[s] from SNP_2, SNP_5, SNP_7, SNP_9 and/or SNP_10 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or iv) at least marker SNP_06 and optionally also marker SNP_05 and/or SNP_07 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2. ### Claim 30 A method of producing C. sativus F1 hybrid plants comprising an introgression fragment conferring enhanced fruit yield comprising: a) crossing a first inbred cucumber plant comprising a recombinant chromosome 2 in homozygous form having an introgression fragment comprising an allele conferring enhanced yield, wherein said introgression fragment is as in NCIMB 42262 with a second inbred cucumber plant, and b) collecting F1 hybrid seeds from said cross. ### Claim 31 A method for generating progeny of NCIMB 42262, said method comprising: a) selfing a plant grown from seeds deposited under accession number NCIMB 42262 one or more times or crossing said plant one or more times with another cucumber plant to generate progeny seeds; b) screening said progeny seeds or plants grown from said progeny seeds or parts of the progeny seeds or plants using a molecular marker assay which detects at least one of: SNP_01 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2, and c) identifying and/or selecting a progeny plant comprising: i) at least 1 of the SNP markers of SNP_01 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or ii) at least 2 consecutive markers from SNP_1 to SNP_11 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or iii) at least 1 marker[s] from SNP_2, SNP_5, SNP_7, SNP_9 and SNP10 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2; or iv) at least marker SNP_06 and optionally also marker SNP_05 and/or SNP_07 for detecting the introgression fragment on chromosome 2. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A progeny plant generated by the method of claim 31, wherein said progeny plant comprises an introgression fragment on chromosome 2 in homozygous or heterozygous form, wherein said introgression fragment is the fragment as found on chromosome 2 in seeds of which a representative sample has been deposited under accession number NCIMB 42262, or a smaller fragment derived therefrom.