Allelic status of PavCNR12 gene in Ukrainian sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars

Aim. In recent decades, Ukrainian breeders have created a large number of sweet cherry cultivars. Further progress in the breeding of sweet cherry requires a broad involvement of molecular methods. Especially important is the development of methods for the identification of genes / alleles that control economically valuable traits. The goal of the study was to develop a new method for discrimination of alleles of the PavCNR12 gene, which controls the fruit size in sweet cherry, and to reveal the allelic status of PavCNR12 in Ukrainian sweet cherry cultivars. Methods. The SNP-polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the PavCNR12-1, -2 and -3 alleles was detected applying comparison of published sequences. PCR amplification of the region was conducted, the obtained PCR products were cut by TaiI restriction endonuclease and separated by electrophoresis in a polyacrylamide gel. The identity of PCR products was confirmed by direct sequencing. Results. A new convenient method for the identification of allelic variants of the PavCNR12 gene using CAPS-markers is proposed. Using the method the allelic status of PavCNR12 in 56 sweet cherry cultivars of Ukrainian and foreign breeding was elucidated. Conclusions. A significant prevalence of the desirable allele PavCNR12-1 over the alleles PavCNR12-2 and -3 was found among the studied cultivars.Keywords: Ukrainian sweet cherry cultivars, genetic control of fruit size, alleles of PavCNR12 gene, CAPSmarkers, Prunus avium.