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EP-4734755-A1 - PEPPER RESISTANCE TO MELOIDOGYNE ENTEROLOBII

EP4734755A1EP 4734755 A1EP4734755 A1EP 4734755A1EP-4734755-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a Capsicum plant comprising a quantitative trait locus (QTL) in its genome on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii . The invention also relates to associated methods for producing plants and methods for identifying plants resistant to Meloidogyne enterolobii .

Inventors

  • JUSTAFRE, Isabelle
  • MANIN, SYLVIE
  • GORGUET, Benoît

Assignees

  • Vilmorin & Cie

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240627

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A Capsicum plant comprising in its genome a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii, and wherein said QTL is located within the chromosomal region delimited by SNP PE-0057076 (SEQ ID NO: 1) and SNP PE-0006730 (SEQ ID NO: 17)
  2. 2. The plant according to claim 1 , wherein said QTL is as present in the genome of representative seeds deposited under accession number NCIMB 44105.
  3. 3. The plant according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said QTL can be identified by detecting one or more SNP markers selected from PE-0057076 (SEQ ID NO: 1), PE-0057077 (SEQ ID NO: 5), PE- 0057080 (SEQ ID NO: 9), PE-0057081 (SEQ ID NO: 13) and PE-0006730 (SEQ ID NO: 17).
  4. 4. The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said QTL is present homozygously in the plant.
  5. 5. The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising at least one mutation in the sequence of a gene selected from Capana09g000172 (SEQ ID NO:24) and Capana09g000173 (SEQ ID NO:25), or in a regulatory sequence thereof, wherein said mutation confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii.
  6. 6. The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 5, also containing its genome one or more loci conferring resistance to root knot nematodes, wherein said loci are selected from Me1, Meeh 2, Me2, Me3, Me4, Me5, Me7, Meehl and N, preferably N, Me1, Me3 and/or Me 7.
  7. 7. The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is a Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum pubescens or Capsicum chacoense plant, preferably a Capsicum annuum plant, in particular a bell pepper.
  8. 8. The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is obtainable by breeding with and/or a progeny of a Capsicum annuum plant grown from a seed, representative seeds of which are deposited under accession number NCIMB 44105.
  9. 9. A Capsicum plant comprising in its genome a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL can be identified by detecting one or more SNP markers selected from PE- 0057076 (SEQ ID NO: 1), PE-0057077 (SEQ ID NO: 5), PE-0057080 (SEQ ID NO: 9), PE- 0057081 (SEQ ID NO: 13) and PE-0006730 (SEQ ID NO: 17).
  10. 10. A cell of the plant according to any one of claims 1 to 9, preferably a cell derived from an embryo, protoplast, meristematic cell, callus, pollen, leaf, anther, stem, petiole, root, root tip, fruit, seed, flower, cotyledon, and/or hypocotyl, or a plant part comprising said cell, wherein said cell comprises in its genome the quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9 (QTL9).
  11. 11 . A Capsicum seed, which can be grown into a Capsicum plant according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
  12. 12. An in vitro cell or tissue culture of regenerable cells of the Capsicum plant according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the regenerable cells are derived from an embryo, protoplast, meristematic cell, callus, pollen, leaf, anther, stem, petiole, root, root tip, seed, flower, cotyledon, and/or hypocotyl, wherein said regenerable cells comprise in their genome the quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9 (QTL9).
  13. 13. A method for detecting and/or selecting a plant resistance to M. enterolobii, wherein said method comprises the detection of at least one SNP marker linked to a QTL on chromosome 9 conferring the resistance to M. enterolobii.
  14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said method comprises the detection of at least one genetic marker located within the chromosomal region delimited by SNP PE-0057076 and PE-00006730, or a genetic marker linked with said chromosomal region.
  15. 15. The method of claim 13 or 14, wherein said method comprises the detection of a genetic marker selected from SNPs PE-0057076, PE-0057077, PE-0057080, PE-0057081 and PE-0006730, or a genetic marker linked with one or more of said SNPs.
  16. 16. A method for identifying a molecular marker linked with a QTL conferring resistance to M. enterolobii, comprising: a. identifying a molecular marker in the Capsicum genome, wherein said marker : - is in the chromosomal region delimited on chromosome 9 by markers PE-0057076 (SEQ ID NO: 1) and PE-0006730 (SEQ ID NO: 17); and/or - is linked with one or more of SNPs PE-0057076, PE-0057077, PE-0057080, PE-0057081 and PE-0006730, b. determining whether an allele or state of said molecular marker is associated with resistance to M. enterolobii in a segregating population comprising Capsicum plants exhibiting said resistance.
  17. 17. Use of one or more of the SNP markers PE-0057076, PE-0057077, PE-0057080, PE-0057081 and PE-0006730 associated with a QTL on chromosome 9 conferring resistance to M. enterolobii, for identifying one or more alternative molecular markers associated with said QTLs.
  18. 18. A method for improving the yield of pepper production in an environment infected by M. enterolobii and/or for protecting a field, tunnel, greenhouse or glasshouse of pepper from an infection by M. enterolobii, comprising growing a Capsicum plant according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
  19. 19. Use of a Capsicum plant according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for limiting or controlling an infection by M. enterolobii.
  20. 20. Method for reducing nematode pressure in an environment infected by M. enterolobii, preferably a field, tunnel, greenhouse or glasshouse, wherein said method comprises growing a Capsicum plant according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in said environment.

Description

Pepper resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii Field of the invention The present invention relates to Capsicum plants, seeds and parts thereof and related methods and uses. Background Pepper (Capsicum sp.), from the Solanaceae family, is one of the most important vegetable crops. Whilst its species are native to the Americas, it is now widely cultivated throughout the warm, temperate, tropical and subtropical countries, in field or greenhouse production. Pepper production is affected by a variety of diseases and parasites, including root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) which are one of the three most economically damaging genera of plant-parasitic nematodes on horticultural and field crops. Root-knot nematodes are distributed worldwide, and are obligate parasites of the roots of thousands of plant species Among the different species of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne enterolobii represents a great threat for most vegetables worldwide and particularly in tropical areas. M. Enterolobii is a polyphagous nematode, affecting in particular pepper (C. annuum), watermelon (C. lanatus), coffee (C. arabica), soybean (G. max), sweet potato (/. batatas), tomato (L. esculentum), tobacco (N. tabacum), bean (P. vulgaris), guava (P. guajava), eggplant (E. melongena) and ornamental plants and wild species. Root-knot nematodes begin their lives as eggs that rapidly develop into J1 (first-stage juvenile) nematodes. The J1 stage resides entirely inside the translucent egg case, where it molts into a J2 nematode. J2s attack growing root tips and enter roots intercellu la rly , behind the root cap. They move to the area of cell elongation where they initiate a feeding site by injecting esophageal gland secretions into root cells. These nematode secretions cause dramatic physiological changes in the parasitized cells, transforming them into giant-cells. Root cells neighboring the giant-cells also enlarge and divide rapidly, presumably as a result of plant growth regulator diffusion, resulting in galls formation. Heavily galled roots provide minimal resources for the rest of the plant and severe infections result in reduced yields on numerous crops. Root-knot nematodes are very difficult to manage because they are soilborne pathogens with a wide host range. Because root-knot nematodes live in the soil, chemical control requires applications of large amounts of chemicals with specialized equipment. Resistance genes have been identified against certain root-knot nematode species, e.g. Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria, M. hapla. However, the known genes of resistance to nematodes in pepper (Me1, Me2, Me3, Me4, Me5, Me6, Me7, N) are reported susceptible to M. enterolobii (Pinheiro et al, Nematropica 45.2 (2015): 184-188). There is therefore a strong need to find QTLs and sources of resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii in pepper. Summary of the invention The present invention first provides a Capsicum plant comprising a quantitative trait locus (QTL) in its genome on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance, in particular intermediate resistance, to Meloidogyne enterolobii. In some aspects, the invention provides a Capsicum plant comprising in its genome a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii, and wherein said QTL is located within the chromosomal region delimited by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) PE-0057076 and SNP PE-0006730. In some aspects, the invention provides a Capsicum plant comprising in its genome a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9, wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii, and wherein said QTL is located between positions 5905642 and 5921103 of the physical genome Zunla-1 v2.0. More particularly, said Capsicum plant comprises said QTL introgressed in its genome. In some aspects, said QTL on chromosome 9 conferring resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii is present in the genome of the seeds of Capsicum annuum PB21 SG7-1294, representative seeds of which have been deposited under accession number NCIMB 44105. In some aspects, said QTL on chromosome 9 conferring resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii can be identified by detecting one or more SNP markers selected from SNPs PE-0057076, PE-0057077, PE-0057080, PE-0057081 and PE-0006730. In some aspects, said plant is a progeny of a Capsicum annuum plant PB21 SG7-1294, representative seeds of which have been deposited under accession number NCIMB 44105. A further aspect of the invention relates to a cell of the plant according to the invention, wherein said cell comprises in its genome a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 9 (QTL9), wherein said QTL confers to the plant resistance to Meloidogyne enterolobii, and wherein said QTL is located within the chromosomal region delimited by SNP PE-0057076 and SNP PE-0006730. A further aspect of the invention relates to a plant part of a Capsicum plant