Fine mapping identifies CsGCN5 encoding a histone acetyltransferase as putative candidate gene for tendril-less1 mutation (td-1) in cucumber

Next-generation sequencing-aided map-based cloning delimited the cucumber tendril - less1 ( td - 1 ) locus into a 190.7-kb region in chromosome 6 harboring a putative, novel-function candidate gene encoding a histone acetyltransferase ( CsGCN5 ). The tendril initiated from the lateral meristem is an important and characteristic organ for the species in the Cucurbitaceae family including cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). While the tendril has its evolutionary significance, it also poses a nuisance in cucumber cultivation under protected environments in which tendril-less cucumber has its advantages. From an EMS mutagenesis population, we identified a tendril-less mutant B007, which was controlled by a recessive gene td-1. Through next-generation sequencing-aided map-based cloning, we show CsGCN5 (Cucumis sativus GENERAL CONTROL NONDEREPRESSIBLE 5), a cucumber gene for a histone acetyltransferase as the most possible candidate for td-1. A non-synonymous SNP in the first exon of CsGCN5 resulted in an amino-acid substitution from Asp (D) in the wild type to Asn (N) in the tendril-less mutant. The candidacy of CsGCN5 was further confirmed by multiple lines of evidence in both biparental and natural cucumber populations. Non-significant expression of CsGCN5 in multiple organs was found between the wild type and the mutant. CsGCN5 exhibited strong expression in the tendril of wild-type plants suggesting its important roles in growth and development of plant tendrils. The identification and characterization of the td-1 mutant from the present study provided a useful tool in understanding the molecular mechanisms of tendril organogenesis and investigation of novel functions of the histone acetyltransferase in cucumber.