Deletion of the miR172 target site in a TOE-type gene is a strong candidate variant for dominant double-flower trait in Rosaceae (original) (raw)

Double-flowers with supernumerary petals have been selected by humans for their attractive appearance and commercial value in several ornamental plants including peach, a recognized model for Rosaceae genetics and genomics. Despite the relevance of this trait, knowledge of the underlying genes is limited. Of two distinct loci controlling the double-flower phenotype in peach, we focused on the dominant Di2 locus. High-resolution linkage mapping in 5 segregating progenies delimited Di2 to an interval spanning 150,858 bp and 22 genes, including Prupe.6G242400 encoding an euAP2 transcription factor. Analyzing genomic re-sequencing data from single- and double-flower accessions, we identified a deletion spanning the binding site for miR172 in Prupe.6G242400 as a candidate variant for the double-flower trait and showed transcript expression for both wild-type and deleted alleles. Consistent with the proposed role in controlling petal number, Prupe.6G242400 is expressed in buds at critical...