Patent
This invention relates to the field of agriculture, more specifically to the use of molecular biology techniques to alter fiber-producing plants, particularly cotton plants, and/or accelerate breeding of such fiber-producing plants. Methods and means are provided to alter fiber qualities, such as increasing fiber strength. Methods are also provided to identify molecular markers associated with fiber strength in a population of cotton varieties and related progenitor plants.
1. A non-naturally occurring Gossypium plant, and parts and progeny thereof, comprising at least one fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense of a fiber strength locus on chromosome A05 wherein said plant is a Gossypium hirsutum plant and wherein the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense is located on chromosome A05 of Gossypium barbadense:
(a) between AFLP marker P5M50-M126.7 and SSR marker CIR280,
(b) between AFLP marker P5M50-M126.7 and SSR marker BNL3992,
(c) between AFLP marker P5M50-M126.7 and SSR marker CIR401c, or
(d) between SSR marker NAU861 or the GLUC1.1 gene and SSR marker CIR401c, said Gossypium hirsutum plant comprising a Gossypium hirsutum allele of at least one marker locus on chromosome A05 selected from the group consisting of CIR139a, BNL3029.A and NAU1042.A.
2. The plant of claim 1 , wherein said Gossypium hirsutum plant further comprises a Gossypium hirsutum allele of at least one marker locus on chromosome A05 selected from the group consisting of BNL0542, E43M49-M260.0, E31M48-M188.5, E43M53-M460.0, CIR294.A and BNL3995 which is derived from and specific for Gossypium hirsutum.
3. The plant of claim 1 , wherein the LOD peak of the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense is located:
(a) at about 0 to 5 cM from SSR marker NAU861 or the GLUC1.1 gene, or
(b) at about 0 to 12 cM from SSR marker CIR401c.
4. The plant of claim 1 , wherein the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense comprises a GLUC1.1 gene encoding a non-functional GLUC1.1 protein.
5. The plant of claim 1 , wherein the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense comprises a GLUC1.1 gene characterised by the presence of a T nucleotide at a nucleotide position corresponding to nucleotide position 712 of SEQ ID NO: 5.
6. The plant of claim 1 , wherein the callose content of the fibers is increased compared to the callose content of the fibers of an equivalent Gossypium plant that does not comprise the at least one fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense.
7. The plant of claim 1 , wherein the strength of the fibers is increased compared to the strength of the fibers of an equivalent Gossypium plant that does not comprise the at least one fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense.
8. The plant of claim 7 , wherein the strength of the fibers is on average between about 1% and about 2% higher.
9. The plant of claim 7 , wherein the Gossypium hirsutum plant is homozygous for the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense.
10. The plant of claim 3 , wherein the LOD peak of the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense is located at about 4.008 cM from SSR marker NAU861 or the GLUC1.1 gene.
11. The plant of claim 3 , wherein the LOD peak of the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense is located at about 10 cM from SSR marker CIR401c.
12. The plant of claim 3 , wherein the LOD peak of the fiber strength allele which is derived from Gossypium barbadense is located at about 10.52 cM from SSR marker CIR401c.
13. The plant of claim 9 , wherein the strength of the fibers is on average
(a) between about 5% and about 10% higher;
(b) between about 1.6 g/tex and about 3.3 g/tex higher; or
(c) between about 34.6 g/tex and about 36.3 g/tex.