Molecular screening of the FAFAD1 and FANAAMT genes of the strawberry fruit aromatic complex

The content of volatile compounds in strawberries has a significant effect on the taste and fruit flavor. Most of the components of the strawberry fruit aromatic complex are controlled polygenically, while the biosynthesis of γ-decalactone and anthranilic acid methyl ester is controlled by the dominant FaFAD1 and FanAAMT genes. This study presents the results of a molecular genetic analysis of strawberry cultivars from the collection of the Department of plant introduction and acclimatization of the Udmurt Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences to identify genotypes promising for fruit flavor breeding. 34 cultivars from the Fragaria × ananassa Duch collection of various ecological and geographical origin were used as biological objects. Allelic diversity of the FaFAD1 and FanAAMT genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction using the corresponding dominant DNA markers. The functional allele of the FaFAD1 gene was detected in 26.5 % of the genotypes studied: 4 varieties of Russian cultivars (Akvarel’, Darenka, Sudarushka, Krasnaya pchelka) and 5 – foreign (Cabrillo, Cisojee, Corona, Malling Pandora, Murano). The FanAAMT gene was detected in 16 cultivars, which accounted for 47.1 % of the total sample. Among the identified genotypes, 9 belonged to Russian cultivars (Altyn, Gordost’ Urala, Darenka, Lyubasha, Pervoklassnitsa, Torpeda, Festival’naya, Feyerverk, Tsaritsa) and 7 to foreign varieties (Cabrillo, Cisojee, Kimberly, Malling Pandora, Marmion, Olvia, Salsa). The analysis of pedigrees of varieties with identified genes of the fruit aromatic complex of strawberry has been carried out. Among the studied collection, the content of two functional gene alleles was characterized by the varieties Darenka, Cabrillo, Cisojee, Malling Pandora, which amounted to 11.8 % of the cultivars. It is these genotypes that are the most promising for use in the fruit flavor breeding program.

1. Makarova K.S., Petrov A.F., Semenyuk Yu.A., Bulletin of NSAU (Novosibirsk State Agrarian University), 2025, No. 1, pp. 40–46, DOI: 10.31677/2072-6724-2025-74-1-40-46. (In Russ.)

2. Marchenko L.A., Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals, 2020, No. 12(203), pp. 50–60, DOI: 10.32417/1997-4868-2020-203-12-50-60. (In Russ.)

3. Novik H.A., Klakotskaya N.V., Fruit Growing, 2021, No. 33, pp. 101–105, DOI: 10.47612/0134-9759-2021-33-101-105. (In Russ.)

4. Nevostrueva E.Yu., Andreeva G.V., Pavlova O.A., Contemporary horticulture, 2021, No. 1, pp. 28–35, DOI: 10.52415/23126701-2021-0104. (In Russ.)

5. Fan Z., Tieman D.M., Knapp S.J. et al., A multi-omics framework reveals strawberry flavor genes and their regulatory elements, New Phytologist, 2022, No. 236(3), pp. 1089–1107, DOI: 10.1111/nph.18416.

6. Barbey C.R., Hogshead M.H., Harrison B., Schwartz A.E., Verma S., Oh Y., Lee S., Folta K.M., Whitaker V.M., Genetic analysis of methyl anthranilate, mesifurane, linalool, and other flavor compounds in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Frontiers in Plant Science, 2021, No. 12, pp. 615–749, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.615749.

7. Abouelenein D., Acquaticci L., Alessandroni L., Borsetta G., Caprioli G., Mannozzi C., Marconi R., Piatti D., Santanatoglia A., Sagratini G. et al., Volatile profile of strawberry fruits and influence of different drying methods on their aroma and flavor: a review, Molecules, 2023, No. 28, pp. 5810, DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155810.

8. Cho J.Y., Ryu D.H., Hamayun M., Park S.H., Kim H-Y., Effect of drainage ratio during strawberry cultivation: The volatilomics-based shelf-life indicators for strawberry fruit, Frontiers in Plant Science, 2023, No. 14, pp. 1124827, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1124827.

9. Lyzhin A.S., Luk’yanchuk I.V., Zhbanova E.V., Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding, 2020, No. 24(1), pp. 5–11, DOI: 10.18699/VJ20.588. (In Russ.)

10. Li Y., Zhang Y., Liu X., Xiao Y., Zhang Z., Shi Y. et al., Cultivation conditions change aroma volatiles of strawberry fruit, Horticulture, 2021, No. 7(4), pp. 81, DOI: 10.3390/horticulturae7040081.

11. Fan Z., Hasing T., Johnson T.S., Garner D.M., Schwieterman M.L., Barbey C.R., et al., Strawberry sweetness and consumer preference are enhanced by specific volatile compounds, Horticulture Research, 2021, No. 8, pp. 224, DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00502-5.

12. Lyzhin A.S., Luk’yanchuk I.V., Taurida Herald of the Agrarian Sciences, 2023, No. 1(33), pp. 63–69, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7898457. (In Russ.)

13. Zorrilla-Fontanesi Y., Rambla J.L., Cabeza A., Medina J.J., Sánchez-Sevilla J.F., Valpuesta V., Botella M.A., Granell A., Amaya I., Genetic analysis of strawberry fruit aroma and identification of O-methyltransferase FaOMT as the locus controlling natural variation in mesifurane content, Plant Physiology, 2012, No. 159(2), pp. 851–870, DOI: 10.1104/pp.111.188318.

14. Chambers A.H., Pillet J., Plotto A., Bai J., Whitaker V.M., Folta K.M., Identification of a strawberry flavor gene candidate using an integrated genetic-genomic-analytical chemistry approach, BMC Genomics, 2014, No. 15(1), pp. 217, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-217.

15. Pillet J., Chambers A.H., Barbey C., Bao Z., Plotto A., Bai J. et al., Identification of a methyltransferase catalyzing the final step of methyl anthranilate synthesis in cultivated strawberry, BMC Plant Biology, 2017, No. 17(1), pp. 147, DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1088-1.

16. Oh Y., Barbey C.R., Chandra S., Bai J., Fan Z., Plotto A., Pillet J., Folta K.M., Whitaker V.M., Lee S., Genomic characterization of the fruity aroma gene, FaFAD1, reveals a gene dosage effect on γ-decalactone production in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), Frontiers in Plant Science, 2021, No. 12, pp. 639345, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.639345.

17. Leonardou V.K., Doudoumis E., Tsormpatsidis E., Vysini E., Papanikolopoulos T., Papasotiropoulos V., Lamari F.N., Quality traits, volatile organic compounds, and expression of key flavor genes in strawberry genotypes over harvest period, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, No. 22, pp. 13499, DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413499.

18. Lyzhin A.S., Luk’yanchuk I.V., Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding, 2021, No. 182(2), pp. 72–80, DOI: 10.30901/2227-8834-2021-2-72-80). (In Russ.)

19. Kulik E.M., Kamedzko T.N., Pugachev R.M., Molekulyarnaya i prikladnaya genetika, 2024, No. 36, pp. 65–70. (In Russ.)