Genetic Analysis of Methyl Anthranilate, Mesifurane, Linalool, and Other Flavor Compounds in Cultivated Strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa )

• Published in: Frontiers in plant science Vol. 12; p. 615749
• Main Authors: Barbey, Christopher R, Hogshead, Maxwell H, Harrison, Benjamin, Schwartz, Anne E, Verma, Sujeet, Oh, Youngjae, Lee, Seonghee, Folta, Kevin M, Whitaker, Vance M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 19.05.2021
• Subjects: aromas; eQTL analysis; fruit volatiles; Plant Science; QTL analysis; terpenes; transcriptomics; QTL analysis; transcriptomics; aromas; eQTL analysis; fruit volatiles; terpenes
• ISSN: 1664-462X; 1664-462X
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.615749

The cultivated strawberry ( × ) is an economically important fruit crop that is intensively bred for improved sensory qualities. The diversity of fruit flavors and aromas in strawberry results mainly from the interactions of sugars, acids, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are derived from diverse biochemical pathways influenced by the expression of many genes. This study integrates multiomic analyses to identify QTL and candidate genes for multiple aroma compounds in a complex strawberry breeding population. Novel fruit volatile QTL was discovered for methyl anthranilate, methyl 2-hexenoate, methyl 2-methylbutyrate, mesifurane, and a shared QTL on Chr 3 was found for nine monoterpene and sesquiterpene compounds, including linalool, 3-carene, β-phellandrene, α-limonene, linalool oxide, nerolidol, α-caryophellene, α-farnesene, and β-farnesene. Fruit transcriptomes from a subset of 64 individuals were used to support candidate gene identification. For methyl esters including the grape-like methyl anthranilate, a novel -like gene was identified. Two mesifurane QTL correspond with the known biosynthesis gene and a novel . The shared terpene QTL contains multiple fruit-expressed terpenoid pathway-related genes including ( ). The abundance of linalool and other monoterpenes is partially governed by a co-segregating expression-QTL (eQTL) for transcript variation, and there is additional evidence for quantitative effects from other terpenoid-pathway genes in this narrow genomic region. These QTLs present new opportunities in breeding for improved flavor in commercial strawberry.