New Potato-Life Cycle Loci Identified by Using an StCDF1-Fixed Population

Abstract

Photoperiodic insensitivity has been the selected trait that allowed cultivation of potato outside its centre of origin, to the northern latitudes of Europe and North America. More than a decade ago, Solanum tuberosum CYCLING DOF FACTOR 1 ( StCDF1 ) was identified as the maturity locus, regulating both above and below-ground maturity traits, also referred to as life cycle length and tuberization onset. Following its identification, several genomic studies contributed to the inventorization of the StCDF1 alleles carried by potato cultivars and their wild relatives. At the same time, the role of StCDF1 beyond plant development has started to be elucidated. While the importance of this locus has been widely shown, the presence of this strong QTL hotspot has hampered the identification of additional QTL and genes. Here, we report the use of a StCDF1 -fixed biparental population to map minor QTL for developmental and generative traits. Remarkably, we identified another region on Chr5 controlling several of the analyzed traits, i.e., tuberization onset, anthesis and senescence traits, and harbouring promising candidate genes for further characterization. Furthermore, the study dissected the contribution of self-compatibility to berry and seed set in a field setting prone to open pollination. The use of an StCDF1 -fixed population resulted in a straightforward and cost-effective approach to identify additionally agronomically relevant loci that could be used in future potato breeding.

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