Identification of fruit firmness QTL ff2.1 by SLAF-BSA and QTL mapping in melon

Fruit firmness is an important target of melon breeding, as it associated with shelf life and economic value; however, the precise mechanism that determines fruit during ripening remains elusive. In present study, one hundred forty-four F2 plants F2–3 families derived from high-firmness line M2–10 low-firmness ZT091 were used to identify major quantitative trait loci by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing bulked segregant analysis. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) cleaved polymorphic (CAPS) markers based on resequencing parental lines also narrow region candidate genes. Two regions investigated, including a 4.87 Mb chr. 2 28.7 5 genome. SSR CAPS construct genetic map regions: QTL ff5.1 was located between CmSSR13509 CmSSR13423 explained 38.44% observed variation, LOD threshold 17.44; ff2.1 CmSSR07709 SNP22228 28.14% 3.8, this included 106 Kb 10 Quantitative real-time PCR performed investigated investigate gene expression at 15, 20 25 days after pollination in lines, significant levels detected for most genes, four genes unknown function MELO3C017519, MELO3C017520, MELO3C017522, MELO3C029506, MELO3C029520. These results revealed new QTL, ff2.1, firmness-related identification.