Full Length Research Paper

A co-dominant molecular marker linked to the monoecious gene CmACS-7 derived from gene sequence in Cucumis melo L.

Hui Feng*, Xiao-ming Li, Zhi-yong Liu, Peng Wei and Rui-qin Ji

Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China. 110161

*Corresponding author. E-mail: fenghuiaaa@263.net.

Accepted 29 April, 2009

   Abstract

This study aimed to find a molecular marker linked to the sex determination gene CmACS-7 based on the sequence publicly available in GenBank (accession number EU791279). Four pairs of primers were designed to clone the CmACS-7 gene on the monoecious parental line ‘RH107’ and the andromonoecious parental line ‘76-09’. Analysis of the fragments’ sequences and the publicly available sequences showed homology of 99% and 98%, respectively. According to the insertion/deletion loci between the two parental lines, a pair of specific primers Tl-L/Tl-R was designed to assay the polymorphism in the parents and F₁, F₂, and BC₁ populations and additional 20 accessions. The specific fragment amplified with primers Tl-L/Tl-R, was identified as a co-dominant molecular marker co-segregated with the sexual genotype in melon, named C1A/C1a, and could be used in marker assistant selection in melon breeding.

Key words: melon, sexual, CmACS-7, co-dominant, molecular marker.