Genetic architecture of cherry leaf spot (Blumeriella jaapii) resistance in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) uncovered by QTL analyses in a biparental population genotyped with the 6 + 9 K SNP array

Abstract

Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) is an economically significant species in the Rosaceae family. Hitherto, there had been limited genetic and genomic resources to elucidate important horticultural traits in this species mainly because of the complex polyploid nature of its genome, a hybrid between Prunus avium and Prunus fruticosa. An important trait that has not been well studied in sour cherry is resistance to cherry leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus Blumeriella jaapii. This work took advantage of the RosBREED 6 + 9 K SNP array to study the genetic basis of CLS resistance and inheritance in sour cherry. We established an F₁ segregating population by crossing two cultivars, ‘Schattenmorelle’ and ‘Pc 2’ and genotyped both parents and the progeny with the cherry 6 + 9 K SNP array and SSR markers. We evaluated both parents and progeny for resistance and susceptibility to CLS under field conditions. The applied marker systems facilitated the development of parental genetic maps, and the identification of two stable QTLs associated with CLS resistance, CLSR_1f in ‘Pc 2’ and susceptibility, CLSS_1f, in ‘Schattenmorelle’ explaining 40.9% and 21.5%, respectively, of the phenotypic variation within the population. The mechanism of resistance in sour cherry appears to be independent of the CLS resistance QTL, CLSR_G4, previously identified in P. canescens, as the CLSR_G4-QTL and associated allele were not identified. Based on our findings, we propose a two-gene model for CLS resistance in sour cherry involving a susceptibility QTL, which might explain why some CLSR_G4-resistant plants in previous studies were susceptible.

Acknowledgements

We thank Ines Hiller and all the staff from the experimental field from the JKI in Dresden-Pillnitz for their technical assistance.

Author contributions

Conception: T.W.W., O.F.E., M.S., A.P., H.F. SNP marker analyses: O.F.E., A.P., T.W.W. SSR sourcing, genotyping, and analyses: A.P., V.B., O.F.E., T.W.W. Mapping analyses: O.F.E., A.P., T.W.W. Phenotyping and analyses: T.W.W., M.S. CLS marker: S.S. Manuscript drafting: O.F.E., T.W.W. Manuscript review and editing: All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Data availability

The data underlying this article are available in the article and online supplementary material. The resistance donor, ‘Pc 2’, is available on request to the corresponding authors or on request at https://www.deutsche-genbank-obst.de/einfuehrung/zugangsbedingungen.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare none.

Supplementary Data

Supplementary data are available at Horticulture Research online.

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