QTL Mapping and Identification of Major Genes
Regulating Organic Acid Accumulation in Apricot Fruits

doi:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0438

Acta Horticulturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (4): 846-856.doi: 10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0438

• Genetic & Breeding · Germplasm Resources · Molecular Biology • Previous Articles Next Articles

QTL Mapping and Identification of Major Genes Regulating Organic Acid Accumulation in Apricot Fruits

JIANG Fengchao，YANG Li，ZHANG Junhuan，ZHANG Meiling，YU Wenjian，and SUN Haoyuan*(sunhyhnus@126.com)

Institute of Forestry and Pomology，Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops（North China），Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture（North China），Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Beijing Engineering Research Center for Deciduous Fruit Trees/Apricot Engineering and Technology Research Center of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration，Beijing 100093，China

Received:2024-12-17 Revised:2025-02-09 Online:2025-04-25 Published:2025-04-25
Contact: SUN Haoyuan

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on a cross between Chuanzhihong（female）and Luotuohuang（male），an F₁ hybrid population of apricot was constructed. The levels of malic acid，citric acid，and total acids in the fruits were determined using liquid chromatography. Additionally，SNP variations in the hybrid population were identified through resequencing data to construct a genetic linkage map for apricots. The findings revealed that malic acid levels increased initially and then decreased during fruit development，while citric acid levels showed a continuous increase. Malic acid and total acids displayed typical quantitative genetic characteristics，whereas citric acid exhibited a positively skewed distribution，indicating the presence of major regulatory genes. The average inter-marker distance in the apricot genetic linkage map was 0.52 cM. Using this map，a total of 11 QTLs were identified，with 88 genes associated with malic acid，310 genes associated with citric acid，and 40 genes associated with total acids. WGCNA analysis demonstrated significant correlations between malic acid，citric acid，total acids，and modules m13，m05，and m08，respectively. Enrichment analysis revealed that candidate genes associated with citric acid were primarily involved in the TCA cycle，pyruvate metabolism，glycolysis/gluconeogenesis，and other related pathways. Intersection analysis of genes related to QTLs，WGCNA，and the TCA cycle identified a single gene，PA08G28879（PaMDH1），present in all three analyses，which may serve as the major gene regulating citric acid accumulation and the candidate gene for exploring the molecular mechanism of organic acid in apricot fruits.

Key words: apricot, F₁ population, organic acids, genetic variation, QTL mapping

CLC Number:

S 662.2

JIANG Fengchao, YANG Li, ZHANG Junhuan, ZHANG Meiling, YU Wenjian, SUN Haoyuan. QTL Mapping and Identification of Major Genes Regulating Organic Acid Accumulation in Apricot Fruits[J]. Acta Horticulturae Sinica, 2025, 52(4): 846-856.

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QTL Mapping and Identification of Major Genes Regulating Organic Acid Accumulation in Apricot Fruits

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