Mapping of two suppressors of OVATE (sov) loci in tomato

Tomato fruit shape varies significantly in the cultivated germplasm. To a large extent, this variation can be explained by four genes including OVATE. While most varieties with the OVATE mutation bear elongated fruits, some accessions carry round fruit suggesting the existence of suppressors of OVATE in the germplasm. We developed three intraspecific F_2 populations with parents that carried the OVATE mutation but differed in fruit shape. We used a Bulk Segregant Analysis approach and genotyped the extreme classes using a high-throughput genotyping platform, the SolCAP Infinium Assay. The analyses revealed segregation at two QTL, sov1 and sov2. These loci were confirmed by genotyping and QTL analyses of the entire population. More precise location of those loci using progeny testing confirmed that sov1 on chromosome 10 controlled obovoid and elongated shape whereas sov2 on chromosome 11 controlled mainly elongated fruit shape. Both loci were located in intervals of less than 2.4 Mb on their respective chromosomes.