Development and use of single nucleotide polymorphism markers for candidate resistance genes in wild peanuts (Arachis spp).

The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an allotetraploid of recent origin, with an AABB genome and low genetic diversity. Perhaps because of its limited genetic diversity, this species lacks resistance to a number of important pests and diseases. In contrast, wild species of Arachis are genetically diverse and are rich sources of disease resistance genes. Consequently, a study of wild peanut relatives is attractive from two points of view: to help understand peanut genetics and to characterize wild alleles that could confer disease resistance. With this in mind, a diploid population from a cross between two wild peanut relatives was developed, in order to make a dense genetic map that could serve as a reference for peanut genetics and in order to characterize the regions of the Arachis genome that code for disease resistance. We tested two methods for developing and genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes for disease resistance; one is based on single-base primer extension methods and the other is based on amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction. We found single-base pair extension to be an efficient method, suitable for high-throughput, single-nucleotide polymorphism mapping; it allowed us to locate five candidate genes for resistance on our genetic map.

A novel melon flexivirus transmitted by whitefly.

In recent years, a viral disease on melon plants has become a serious problem in Brazil. Symptoms were principally yellowing and mottling on older leaves. Long filamentous virus particles, resembling those of carlaviruses, were seen in symptomatic leaves. In this study, the 3' terminal region of the virus genome isolated from an infected plant, including the last two ORFs, was cloned and sequenced. The sequence comprised a polyadenilated tail and two ORFs, one exhibiting similarity to potexvirus and carlavirus coat protein gene and the second to a carlavirus protein with potential nucleic acid-binding property. The sequence analysis, the genome organization and the particle morphology indicated that the virus could be classified as a novel whitefly-transmitted flexivirus. The name Melon yellowing-associated virus (MYaV) is tentatively suggested for this virus.