Combination of QTL affecting acylsugar chemistry reveals additive and epistatic genetic interactions to increase acylsugar profile diversity

The tomato breeding line, CU071026, was bred to accumulate high levels of the insect control compounds called acylsugars, which are exuded from glandular trichomes. The acylsugars of CU071026 exhibit a characteristic profile of acylsugar composition and constituent fatty acid acyl groups that is distinct from that of the progenitor wild tomato, Solanum pennellii LA716. A prior study reported the transfer of three QTL (FA2, FA7, and FA8), from S. pennellii LA716, that are associated with changes in acylsugar chemistry into CU071026 and demonstrated that the resulting lines, each of which possesses one of these QTL, displayed a unique acylsugar and fatty acid profile distinct from that characteristic of the acylsugars of CU071026 and each other. The current study utilized marker-assisted backcrossing to combine pairs of two of these QTL or all three of these QTL. This created a new set of lines, which allowed evaluation of the combinatory effects of FA2QTL, FA7QTL, and FA8QTL, on acylsugar level and acylsugar and fatty acid profile and diversity. Analysis of the new tomato lines revealed that these QTL interacted additively and epistatically to alter acylsugar level and chemistry, increasing the diversity of fatty acid constituents and/or acylsugar chemotypes present in the exudates of some of the lines. Extensive characterization of the lines for acylsugar level, through a spectrophotometric invertase assay, and acylsugar chemistry, through gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, allowed association of the QTL interactions with aspects of acylsugar chemotype. The evaluated fatty acids and acylsugars accumulated by the set of lines generally displayed high heritability and minimal environmental effect, which is discussed. The QTL interactions that govern a more diverse acylsugar and fatty acid profile provide valuable information for the generation of tomato lines with improved acylsugar efficacy against pests of tomato.