Modified plant architecture to enhance crop disease control: genetic control and possible value of upright fruit position in cucumber

Plant architectural features can facilitate disease control by creating unfavourable environments for pathogen growth or limiting pathogen contact with the host. In the case of Phytophthora capsici infection of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), the susceptible fruit typically lie in contact with soil under warm, moist conditions of a full canopy, an ideal location for exposure to inoculum and disease development. We have shown that increased row spacing, trellising and architectural variants that allow for more open canopies, such as shorter vines, reduced branching, or smaller leaves, can modify microclimate as assessed by temperature at the location of developing fruits. However, only trellising reduced infection rates (<3 % infection vs. 22 % for control). A cucumber accession PI308916, with extremely short internodes and resulting upright position of young fruit, also exhibited reduced disease. Fruit of PI308916 were susceptible when inoculated with P. capsici, indicating that reduced infection likely resulted from decreased soil contact. The compact trait is inherited as a single recessive gene, cp. Like many architectural traits, cp may be pleiotropic; PI308916-derived breeding lines were reported to have poor seedling emergence. PI308916 exhibited inconsistent apical hook formation that co-segregated with short internodes in F₂ and backcross generations, and disorganized internodal cortical cell arrangement. The combined phenotypes suggest either pleiotropy or very tight linkage of genes affecting hormone balance or cell division. The narrow chromosome region recently defined by QTL analysis includes candidate gene homologs of meristem related genes modulating cell division or spacing of lateral shoot organs and genes associated with brassinosteroid signaling or cytokinin content.     

Inheritance of resistance to the Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus in the cucumber line TMG-1 and cosegregation with zucchini yellow mosaic virus resistance

Inbred lines derived from the Chinese cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivar, ‘Taichung Mou Gua’ (TMG), have been shown to be resistant to several potyviruses including: zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), zucchini yellow fleck virus (ZYFV), watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) and the watermelon strain of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W). Recently, an additional virus that infects cucurbits, the Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV), has been determined to be a distinct member of the potyvirus group. This study demonstrates that TMG-1 possesses resistance to MWMV. Rub or aphid inoculated TMG-1 seedlings remain free of symptoms. Progeny analyses of the F₁, F₂ and backcross generations show that resistance to MWMV is conferred by a single recessive gene (proposed designation, mwm). Sequential inoculation of progeny possessing resistance to ZYMV followed by MWMV (or MWMV followed by ZYMV) and analysis of F₃ families derived from F₂ individuals selected for resistance to ZYMV indicate that both resistances are conferred by the same gene, or two tightly linked genes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Segregation and mapping analysis of polymorphic HLA class I restriction fragments: detection of a novel fragment

An HLA-B7 complementary DNA clone was used as a hybridization probe to analyze the segregation pattern of polymorphic class I restriction fragments in several families whose HLA types had been determined by serological techniques. In one family in which a crossover in the HLA region had occurred, a specific genomic fragment was mapped with respect to the crossover. In another family, a novel genomic fragment present in one child and absent in all other family members was observed. With the exception of this novel fragment, all polymorphic class I fragments observed in this study segregated with a serologically defined parental haplotype, a result consistent with HLA linkage.     

Selection for multiple disease resistance reduces cucumber yield potential

Summary Experiments were conducted in Wisconsin and Michigan to determine whether selection for multiple disease resistance adversely affects yielding ability of commercial cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. sativus L.; CS) lines. Inbred F₄ and F₅ lines were developed from C. sativus var. hardwickii (R.) Alef. (CH) x CS which had been either selected or not selected for resistance to the causal organisms of scab, anthracnose, and downy mildew. The exotic CH germplasms possesses a multiple fruiting habit with high yield potential and the CS genotypes include several disease resistance. In each comparison between selected and unselected progeny, the unselected families either significantly outyielded, or were not significantly different than their selected counterparts. In no case did the selected progeny outyield the unselected progeny. Since this was observed for both fruit number per plant and total fruit weight per plant, and it occurred despite differences in fruit size, we conclude that selection for disease resistance led to a reduction in yield potential in these populations.Received for publication-. The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. Under postal regulations, this paper therefore must be hereby marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact.     

Direct comparison of pollen-mediated movement of native and engineered genes

Despite the commercial approval of twenty-five transgenic crops in the U.S. as of mid-1996, concern is still being expressed regarding the potential risks associated with genetically engineered crops. One recurring issue is the possibility of pollen-mediated escape of engineered genes into populations of crop wild relatives. To address this concern, the scientific community has depended on literature on pollen dispersal generated from non-transgenic organisms. Utilization of this information requires the assumption that the pollen mediated movement of native and transgenes is the same. To test the validity of this assumption, we directly compared the pollen-mediated gene movement of native and engineered marker genes using melon plants (Cucumis melo L.) expressing dominant morphological and transgenic traits. Movement into both contiguous border plots and non-contiguous satellite plots were monitored. Dispersal of the native gene and transgene into the satellite plots was identical. Dispersal of the two traits into the plot borders was nearly identical. Of the nearly 4600 seedlings screened for both morphological (presence of green vs. virescent cotyledons) and transgene movement (presence of NPT II protein by ELISA), in no case was the NPT II gene observed in the absence of green cotyledons. However, 39 seedlings were green but did not express NPT II as measured by ELISA. PCR analysis revealed transgene inactivation as a cause of the NPT II ELISA-seedlings. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.