A large presence/absence variation in the promotor of the ClLOG gene determines trichome elongation in watermelon

Theor Appl Genet. 2024 Apr 9;137(5):98. doi: 10.1007/s00122-024-04601-4.ABSTRACTThe ClLOG gene encoding a cytokinin riboside 5'-monophosphate phosphoribohydrolase determines trichome length in watermelon, which is associated with its promoter variations. Trichomes, which are differentiated from epidermal cells, are special accessory structures that cover the above-ground organs of plants and possibly contribute to biotic and abiotic stress resistance. Here, a bulked segregant analysis (BSA) of an F2 population with significant variations in trichome length was undertaken. A 1.84-Mb candidate region on chromosome 10 was associated with trichome length. Resequencing and fine-mapping analyses indicated that a 12-kb structural variation in the promoter of Cla97C10G203450 (ClLOG) led to a significant expression difference in this gene in watermelon lines with different trichome lengths. In addition, a virus-induced gene silencing analysis confirmed that ClLOG positively regulated trichome elongation. These findings provide new information and identify a potential target gene for controlling multicellular trichome elongation in watermelon.PMID:38592431 | DOI:10.1007/s00122-024-04601-4

Source: TAG. Theoretical and Applied Genetics - April 9, 2024 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Yuyuan Ma Yu Wang Zhiqin Zhou Runqin Zhang Yiru Xie Yihan Zhang Yongming Bo Xiaolong Lyu Jinghua Yang Mingfang Zhang Zhongyuan Hu Source Type: research