Methods and compositions for watermelon sex expression
AssigneeSeminis Vegetable Seeds, Inc.
InventorsHussein Abdel-Haleem, Steven Knapp, Cecilia McGregor, Jason Prothro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides for unique watermelon plants with a desired sex expression phenotype and their progeny. Such plants may comprise an introgressed QTL associated with a desired sex expression phenotype. In certain aspects, compositions, including distinct polymorphic molecular markers, and methods for producing, breeding, identifying, selecting, and the like of plants or germplasm with a desired sex expression phenotype are provided.
Claims25
A watermelon plant comprising in its genome at least one introgressed allele locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype, wherein the locus is in or genetically linked to a genomic region defined by:
- loci NW0248967 (SEQ ID NO:1) and NW0248118 (SEQ ID NO:3) on linkage group 2 (LG2), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0252278 (SEQ ID NO:4) and NW0248560 (SEQ ID NO:5) on linkage group 7 (LG7), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0248392 (SEQ ID NO:6) and NW0248711 (SEQ ID NO:7) on linkage group 10 (LG10), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof;
- or
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250956 (SEQ ID NO:10) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0250956 (SEQ ID NO:10) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof;
- or a progeny plant therefrom.
A method of detecting in at least one watermelon plant a genotype associated with a desired sex expression phenotype, the method comprising the step of:
- (i) detecting in at least one watermelon plant an allele of at least one polymorphic nucleic acid that is associated with a desired sex expression phenotype, wherein the polymorphic nucleic acid is in or genetically linked to a genomic region defined by:
- loci NW0248967 (SEQ ID NO:1) and NW0248118 (SEQ ID NO:3) on linkage group 2 (LG2), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0252278 (SEQ ID NO:4) and NW0248560 (SEQ ID NO:5) on linkage group 7 (LG7), or within 15 cM thereof
- loci NW0248392 (SEQ ID NO:6) and NW0248711 (SEQ ID NO:7) on linkage group 10 (LG10), or within 15 cM thereof;
- or
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof.
A method for producing a watermelon plant that comprises in its genome at least one locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype, the method comprising:
- (i) crossing a first watermelon plant lacking a locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype with a second watermelon plant comprising a locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype defined by:
- loci NW0248967 (SEQ ID NO:1) and NW0248118 (SEQ ID NO:3) on linkage group 2 (LG2), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0252278 (SEQ ID NO:4) and NW0248560 (SEQ ID NO:5) on linkage group 7 (LG7), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0248392 (SEQ ID NO:6) and NW0248711 (SEQ ID NO:7) on linkage group 10 (LG10), or within 15 cM thereof;
- or
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof.
- (ii) detecting in progeny resulting from said crossing at least a first polymorphic locus in or genetically linked to said locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype;
- and
- (iii) selecting a watermelon plant comprising said polymorphism and said locus associated with a desired sex expression phenotype.
A method of watermelon plant breeding, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) selecting at least a first watermelon plant comprising at least one allele of a polymorphic nucleic acid that is in or genetically linked to a QTL associated with a desired sex expression phenotype, wherein the QTL maps to a position between
- loci NW0248967 (SEQ ID NO:1) and NW0248118 (SEQ ID NO:3) on LG2;
- loci NW0252278 (SEQ ID NO:4) and NW0248560 (SEQ ID NO:5) on LG7;
- loci NW0248392 (SEQ ID NO:6) and NW0248711 (SEQ ID NO:7) on LG10;
- or
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on LG11A;
- and
- (ii) crossing the first watermelon plant with itself or a second watermelon plant to produce progeny watermelon plants comprising the QTL associated with a desired sex expression phenotype.
A method of introgressing an allele into a watermelon plant, the method comprising:
- (i) genotyping at least one watermelon plant in a population with respect to at least one polymorphic nucleic acid located in or genetically linked to a genomic region defined by
- loci NW0248967 (SEQ ID NO:1) and NW0248118 (SEQ ID NO:3) on linkage group 2 (LG2), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0252278 (SEQ ID NO:4) and NW0248560 (SEQ ID NO:5) on linkage group 7 (LG7), or within 15 cM thereof;
- loci NW0248392 (SEQ ID NO:6) and NW0248711 (SEQ ID NO:7) on linkage group 10 (LG10), or within 15 cM thereof;
- or
- loci NW0249365 (SEQ ID NO:8) and NW0250112 (SEQ ID NO:9) on linkage group 11A (LG11A), or within 15 cM thereof.
- (ii) selecting from the population at least one watermelon plant comprising at least one allele associated with a desired sex expression phenotype.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.