TOMATO LEAF CURL NEW DELHI VIRUS (TOLCNDV) RESISTANT MELONS

• US 20200131527A1
• Filed: 11/21/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt En Zaadhandel B.V (RIJK Zwaan Top Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt En Zaadhandel B.V (RIJK Zwaan Top Holding BV)
• Inventors: Muller, Florian, Ludeking, Daniel Johannes Wilhelmus
• Granted Patent: US 11,130,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 1/045 using molecular markers
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 5/08 Fruits
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 6/344 Cucumis melo [melon]
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8283 for virus resistance

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cultivated melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), which comprises QTL-1 in its genome, and which QTL-1 confers resistance against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). The invention further provides progeny, fruit, seeds, propagation material and food products from the plant. The invention also provides markers for the identification of QTL-1, as well as a method for testing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant for the presence of QTL-1 in its genome and a method for selecting or identifying a melon plant resistant against ToLCNDV. Also provided is a method for producing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant which is resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV).

Claims

1. A melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), wherein the plant comprises QTL-1 in its genome, which QTL-1 confers resistance to Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and is present in a plant grown from a seed deposited under NCIMB accession number 42705.

2. The melon plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein QTL-1 is located on chromosome 11, between the marker sequences SEQ ID NO:

1 and SEQ ID NO;

9.

3. The melon plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein QTL-1 is linked to one or more markers selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1, SEQ ID NO;

3, SEQ ID NO;

5, SEQ ID NO;

7, and SEQ ID NO;

9, or any combination thereof.

4. The melon plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein QTL-1 can be identified by one or more markers selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1, SEQ ID NO;

3, SEQ ID NO;

5, SEQ ID NO;

7, and SEQ ID NO;

9, or any combination thereof.

5. A melon seed comprising QTL-1 in its genome, wherein QTL-1 is as defined in claim 1.

6. The melon seed as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plant grown from said seed is resistant against ToLCNDV.

7. A progeny of the melon plant as claimed in claim 1, or progeny of the melon plant grown from seed as claimed in claim 5, wherein the progeny comprises QTL-1 as defined in claim 1.

8. The progeny as claimed in claim 7, wherein the progeny is resistant against ToLCNDV.

9. A melon fruit harvested from a plant as claimed in claim 1 or from a plant grown from a seed as claimed in claim 5.

10. The melon fruit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the melon fruit comprises QTL-1 in its genome.

11. The melon fruit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the melon fruit is resistant against ToLCNDV.

12. A food product or a processed food product comprising the melon fruit or part thereof as claimed in claim 9.

13. A cell of a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant resistant against ToLCNDV, which cell comprises the QTL-1 as defined in claim 1.

14. Tissue culture of a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant resistant against ToLCNDV, which tissue culture comprises the QTL-1 as defined in claim 1.

15. Propagation material suitable for producing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the propagation material is suitable for sexual reproduction, and is in particular selected from a microspores, pollen, ovary, ovule, embryo sac and egg cell, or is suitable for vegetative reproduction, and is in particular selected from a cutting, root, stems cell, protoplast, or is suitable for tissue cultures of regenerable cells, and is in particular selected from a leaf, pollen, embryo, cotyledon, hypocotyl, meristematic cell, root, root tip, anther, flower, seed and stem, and wherein the plant produced from the propagation material comprises the QTL-1 as defined claim 1.

20. A method for producing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant which is resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), said method comprising:

a) crossing a plant as claimed in claim 1 with another plant to obtain an F1 population;

b) optionally performing one or more rounds of selfing and/or crossing a plant from the F1 to obtain a further generation population;

c) selecting from the population a plant that comprises QTL-1 and is resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV).

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the plant as claimed in claim 1 is a plant grown from seed deposited under NCIMB accession number 42705, or progeny thereof comprising QTL-1 in its genome.

22. A method for producing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant which is resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), said method comprising growing a plant which comprises the QTL-1 as defined in claim 1.

16. A marker for the identification of QTL-1, wherein QTL-1 when present in the genome of a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant confers resistance to ToLCNDV, which marker is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1, SEQ ID NO;

3, SEQ ID NO;

5, SEQ ID NO;

7, and SEQ ID NO;

9, or any combination thereof.

17. A method of testing a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant for the presence of QTL-1 in its genome, comprising detecting a marker sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

1, SEQ ID NO;

3, SEQ ID NO;

5, SEQ ID NO;

7, and SEQ ID NO;

9, or any combination thereof, in the genome of the melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising selecting a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant that comprises QTL-1 in its genome.

19. A method for identifying or selecting a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant which is resistant against Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), said method comprising:

a) assaying genomic nucleic acids of a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant for the presence of a genomic marker genetically linked to QTL-1, wherein QTL-1 is associated with ToLCNDV resistance, wherein said QTL-1 is within 20 cM or 10 cM or 5 cM of any one of the markers SEQ ID NO;

1, SEQ ID NO;

3, SEQ ID NO;

5, SEQ ID NO;

7, or SEQ ID NO;

9;

b) identifying or selecting a plant if any of the said markers are present, as a melon (Cucumis melo spp. melo) plant that is resistant to ToLCNDV; and

c) optionally verifying if the plant is resistant against ToLCNDV.

23. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the plant is a plant grown from seed deposited under NCIMB accession number 42705, or progeny thereof comprising QTL-1 in its genome.