Isoenzymatic identification of quantitative traits in crosses between heterozygous parents: mapping tuber traits in diploid potato (Solanum spp.).

Eleven isozyme markers were utilized for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in diploid potato. These markers are distributed among 7 of the 12 chromosomes and therefore give a representative, though sparse, survey of the potato genome. Tuber specific gravity and tuder dormancy were studied. Two segregating diploid populations were constructed from heterozygous self-incompatible parents. These two populations, TRP132 (127 individuals) and TRP133 (110 individuals), have a common maternal parent and combine genomes of Solanum tuberosum (haploid), S. chacoense, and S. phureja. The populations were planted at two locations in Michigan in 1990 using a randomized complete block design with three replications per location. After harvest they were characterized with the isozymes and evaluated for specific gravity and tuber dormancy. To test for QTLs, one-way analyses of variance were conducted for each locus by trait combination. Significant associations between markers and quantitative trait variation were identified, which accounted for a range from 4% to 15% of the phenotypic variation for specific gravity, and from 4.5% to 20.4% for tuber dormancy. Two-way analyses of variance between significant markers were used to identify epistatic interactions between markers. Multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the overall effect of the significant markers on the phenotypic variation for these traits. These values ranged from 15.3% and 32.3% for specific gravity. For dormancy, the significant loci accounted for 8.5% and 36.9% of the total phenotypic variation for each of the populations. We find that isozyme analysis is a useful tool for preliminary QTL studies in potato.