Nirala Ramchiary1,2, Wenxing Pang1, Van Dan Nguyen1, Xiaonan Li1, Su Ryun Choi1, Ajay Kumar2, Min Kwon3, Hye Young Song4, Shahnaz Begum1, Mechuselie Kehie2, Moo-Kyoung Yoon5, Jonghyun Na6, HyeRan Kim7, Yong Pyo Lim1,*
1 Molecular Genetics and Genomics Lab, Department of Horticulture, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Republic of Korea
2 Translational and Evolutionary Genomics Lab, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110 067, India
3 Highland Agriculture Research Center, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Pyeongchang, 232-955, Republic of Korea
4 Institute of Agricultural Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Republic of Korea
5 National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, Rural Development Administration, Suwon, 440-706, Republic of Korea
6 Research and Development, Nunhems Korea, Anseong, 456-883, Republic of Korea
7 Plant Systems Engineering Research Center, Cabbage Genomics Assisted Breeding Supporting Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 305-806, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding author
Abstract
The Diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), is the most destructive insect infesting cruciferous plants worldwide. Earlier studies have reported that the glossy leaves of cabbage are associated with resistance to this insect. However, until now, genetics of DBM resistance has not been studied in detail, and no QTL/gene mapping for this trait has been reported. In this paper, we report quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of DBM-resistant trait using 188 randomly selected segregating F3 population derived from crossing a partially DBM-resistant glossy leaf cabbage (748) with a susceptible smooth cabbage line (747). Quantitative trait loci mapping using phenotypic data of four consecutive years (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011) on DBM insect infestation detected a total of eight QTL on five linkage groups suggesting that DBM resistance is a quantitative in nature. Of these QTL, four QTL, i.e., qDbm 1 on LG1, qDbm5 and qDbm6 on LG7, and qDbm8 on LG9, were detected in different tests and years. The QTL, qDbm6 on LG7, was consecutively detected over 3 years. Tightly linked molecular markers have been developed for qDbm8 QTL on LG9 which could be used in marker-assisted breeding program. Our research demonstrated that for desired DBM resistance cultivar breeding, those four genetic loci have to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the comparative study revealed that DBM resistance QTL is conserved between close relative model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica oleracea genome.