Melons with improved shelf life

A marker for the identifying a Cucumis melo plant having a modified lncRNA gene, wherein:

• the wild type lncRNA gene has a coding sequence according to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein the modified lncRNA gene encodes a modified lncRNA transcript, wherein the modified lncRNA transcript encoded by the modified lncRNA gene has a changed function, a reduced function, or it is non-functional as a result of the modification;
• wherein the modified lncRNA gene comprises a mutation, said mutation comprising a G1571A mutation at position 1571 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or at a corresponding position of a homologous sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• wherein the presence of the modified lncRNA gene confers improved shelf life of a fruit of the Cucumis melo plant as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene;
• wherein the marker has the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 3 or a part thereof capable of detecting the G1571A mutation;
• wherein the marker is capable of distinguishing between the G1571A mutation and the wildtype sequence.

A method of producing a Cucumis melo plant comprising a modified lncRNA gene, comprising introducing the modified lncRNA gene in to the genome of the Cucumis melo plant, wherein:

• the wild type lncRNA gene has a coding sequence according to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein the modified lncRNA gene encodes a modified lncRNA transcript, wherein the modified lncRNA transcript encoded by the modified lncRNA gene has a changed function, a reduced function, or it is non-functional as a result of the modification;
• wherein the modified lncRNA gene comprises a mutation, said mutation comprising a G1571A mutation at position 1571 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or at a corresponding position of a homologous sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• wherein the presence of the modified lncRNA gene confers improved shelf life of a fruit of the Cucumis melo plant as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene.

A method of selecting a Cucumis melo plant comprising a modified lncRNA gene, comprising:

• a) identifying by genetic analysis the presence of the modified lncRNA gene in the genome of the Cucumis melo plant,
• b) selecting a plant that comprises the modified lncRNA gene;
• c) optionally further testing a fruit of the selected plant for improved shelf life as compared to fruit an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene, and
• d) optionally selecting the further tested plant whose fruit exhibits improved shelf life as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene;
• wherein:
• the wild type lncRNA gene has a coding sequence according to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein the modified lncRNA gene encodes a modified lncRNA transcript, wherein the modified lncRNA transcript encoded by the modified lncRNA gene has a changed function, a reduced function, or it is non-functional as a result of the modification;
• the modified lncRNA gene comprises a mutation, said mutation comprising a G1571A mutation at position 1571 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or at a corresponding position of a homologous sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• and
• the presence of the modified lncRNA gene confers improved shelf life of a fruit of the Cucumis melo plant as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene.

A method for producing a Cucumis melo plant, comprising the steps of:

• (a) crossing a first Cucumis melo parent plant whose genome comprises a modified lncRNA gene with a second Cucumis melo parent plant to obtain an F1 population;
• (b) optionally performing one or more rounds of selfing and/or crossing with a F1 Cucumis melo plant to obtain a further generation population;
• (c) selecting from the population resulting from the cross of step a) or from the further generation population of step b), a Cucumis melo plant that comprises the modified lncRNA gene;
• wherein:
• the wild type lncRNA gene has a coding sequence according to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein the modified lncRNA gene encodes a modified lncRNA transcript, wherein the modified lncRNA transcript encoded by the modified lncRNA gene has a changed function, a reduced function, or it is non-functional as a result of the modification;
• the modified lncRNA gene comprises a mutation, said mutation comprising a G1571A mutation at position 1571 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or at a corresponding position of a homologous sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• and
• the presence of the modified lncRNA gene confers improved shelf life of a fruit of the Cucumis melo plant as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene.

A method for the production of hybrid Cucumis melo seed comprising:

• crossing a first Cucumis melo parent plant with a second Cucumis melo parent plant, and harvesting the hybrid seed;
• wherein the first Cucumis melo parent plant or the second Cucumis melo parent plant comprises a modified lncRNA gene, wherein:
• the wild type lncRNA gene has a coding sequence according to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein the modified lncRNA gene encodes a modified lncRNA transcript, wherein the modified lncRNA transcript encoded by the modified lncRNA gene has a changed function, a reduced function, or it is non-functional as a result of the modification;
• the modified lncRNA gene comprises a mutation, said mutation comprising a G1571A mutation at position 1571 of SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or at a corresponding position of a homologous sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• and
• the presence of the modified lncRNA gene confers improved shelf life of a fruit of the Cucumis melo plant as compared to fruit of an isogenic Cucumis melo plant lacking the modified lncRNA gene.