The PH gene determines fruit acidity and contributes to the evolution of sweet melons

摘要: Taste has been the subject of human selection in evolution agricultural crops, and acidity is one three major components fleshy fruit taste, together with sugars volatile flavour compounds. We identify a family plant-specific genes effect on by map-based cloning C. melo PH gene (CmPH) from melon, Cucumis taking advantage novel natural genetic variation for both high low this species. Functional silencing orthologous two distantly related plant families, cucumber tomato, produced low-acid, bland tasting fruit, showing that control across families. A four amino-acid duplication CmPH distinguishes between primitive acidic varieties modern dessert melons. This fortuitous mutation served as preadaptive antecedent to development sweet melon cultigens Central Asia over 1,000 years ago.