QTL mapping for resistance to Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), a member of the genus Crinivirus , is transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and causes yellowing of leaves of cucurbit plants. The melon accession JP 138332 is resistant to CCYV. Here, we detected a single QTL conferring resistance to CCYV in melon. Two susceptible accessions (‘Harukei No. 3’ and ‘AnMP-5’) were crossed with JP 138332 to generate two mapping populations. Each F 2 population was evaluated for CCYV resistance in a greenhouse with the use of CCYV-infected B. tabaci , and genetic linkage maps were constructed using SSR and Indel markers. The map of the F 2 population derived from ‘Harukei No. 3’, with 12 linkage groups, comprises 171 markers, which span 1538 cM, with an average interval between markers of 9.7 cM. The map of the F 2 population derived from ‘AnMP-5’, also with 12 linkage groups, comprises 179 markers, which span 1419 cM, with an average interval of 8.5 cM. QTL analysis using each population detected one locus in the same region on chromosome 1, explaining 46.5–50% of the phenotypic variance. This is the first report of QTL mapping for CCYV resistance.