Genetic mapping of green curd gene Gr in cauliflower

Key message Gr5.1 is the major locus for cauliflower green curd color and mapped to an interval of 236 Kbp with four most likely candidate genes. Cauliflower with colored curd enhances not only the visual appeal but also the nutritional value of the crop. Green cauliflower results from ectopic development of chloroplasts in the normal white curd. However, the underlying genetic basis is unknown. In this study, we employed QTL-seq analysis to identify the loci that were associated with green curd phenotype in cauliflower. A F2 population was generated following a cross between a white curd (Stovepipe) and a green curd (ACX800) cauliflower plants. By whole-genome resequencing and SNP analysis of green and white F2 bulks, two QTLs were detected on chromosomes 5 ( Gr5.1 ) and 7 ( Gr7.1 ). Validation by traditional genetic mapping with CAPS markers suggested that Gr5.1 represented a major QTL, whereas Gr7.1 had a minor effect. Subsequent high-resolution mapping of Gr5.1 in the second large F2 population with additional CAPS markers narrowed down the target region to a genetic and physical distance of 0.3 cM and 236 Kbp, respectively. This region contained 35 genes with four of them representing the best candidates for the green curd phenotype in cauliflower. They are LOC106295953, LOC106343833, LOC106345143, and LOC106295954, which encode UMP kinase, DEAD-box RNA helicase 51-like, glutathione S-transferase T3-like, and protein MKS1, respectively. These findings lay a solid foundation for the isolation of the Gr gene and provide a potential for marker-assisted selection of the green curd trait in cauliflower breeding. The eventual isolation of Gr will also facilitate better understanding of chloroplast biogenesis and development in plants.