Tomato flavor is an important goal for breeders. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are significant determinants of tomato flavor. Although most tomato varieties for the fresh market are F1 hybrids, most studies on the genetic control of flavor-related traits are performed on lines.
This study quantified 46 VOCs in a panel of 121 small-fruited lines and in a test cross panel of 165 hybrids (the previous panel plus 44 elite cherry tomato lines crossed with a common line). High and consistent heritabilities were assessed for most VOCs in the two panels, and 65% of VOC contents were strongly correlated between lines and hybrids. Additivity was observed for most VOCs. The team performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the two panels separately, along with a third GWAS on the test cross subset carrying only F1 hybrids corresponding to the line panel.
The research team identified 205, 183, and 138 associations, respectively. They identified numerous overlapping associations for VOCs belonging to the same metabolic pathway within each panel; they focused on seven chromosome regions with clusters of associations simultaneously involved in several key VOCs for tomato aroma. The study highlighted the benefit of testcross panels to create tasty F1 hybrid varieties.
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Bineau, Estelle & Rambla, Jose & Priego-Cubero, Santiago & Hereil, Alexandre & Bitton, Frédérique & Plissonneau, Clémence & Granell, Antonio & Causse, Mathilde. (2021). Breeding Tomato Hybrids for Flavour: Comparison of GWAS Results Obtained on Lines and F1 Hybrids. Genes. 12. 1443. 10.3390/genes12091443.