Allelic diversity of the FaOMT gene of the strawberry fruit aromatic complex

The study was carried out to identify the sources of the FaOMT gene, which controls the biosynthesis of mesifuran in strawberries. The material included 34 of accessions from the Fragaria × ananassa Duch genetic collection the Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences various ecological and geographical origins, of which 22 genotypes are of Russian breeding, 16 – of foreign origin. Molecular screening of the FaOMT loci was performed using the diagnostic codominant DNA marker FaOMT-SI/NO, which makes it possible to identify different allelic states of the gene. The functional FaOMT+ allele was identified in 88.2 % of the samples. A non–functional (inactive) FaOMT– allele was detected in 47.1 % of the accessions. The content of both alleles (FaOMT+FaOMT–genotype) was characterized by 35.3 % of the accessions. 52.9 % of the samples were found to be homozygous for the active allelic form of the gene (FaOMT+FaOMT+ genotype). Among the studied collection, 18 accessions characterized by the presence of two active alleles (Akvarel’, Viola, Gordost’ Urala, Darenka, Duet, Italmas, Lyubasha, Pervoklassnica, Sudarushka, Festival’naya, Carica, Yaroslavna, Cabrillo, Cisojee, Corona, Murano, Salsa, Sonsation) turned out to be the most promising for inclusion in the fruit flavor breeding process, because they will ensure the inheritance of the target allele in the hybrid offspring. Homozygous for the non–functional allele (FaOMT–FaOMT– genotype) were 4 accessions of the collection (11.8 % of the collection): Krasnaya pchelka, Nastya, Black Prince, Malling Pandora. The inclusion of these varieties in flavor breeding is impractical. The results obtained are comparable with the pedigrees of the analyzed varieties.

Fragaria × ananassa, fruit aroma, mesifurane, DNA markers, polymerase chain reaction