An ACCUMULATION AND REPLICATION OF CHLOROPLASTS 5 gene mutation confers light green peel in cucumber

The peel color of fruit is an important commercial trait in cucumber, but the underlying molecular basis is largely unknown. A mutant showing light green exocarp was discovered from ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS) mutagenized cucumber line 406 with dark green exocarp. Genetic analysis showed the mutant phenotype is conferred by a single recessive gene, here designated as lgp (light green peel). By re-sequencing of bulked segregants, we identified the candidate gene Csa7G051430 encoding ACCUMULATION AND REPLICATION OF CHLOROPLASTS 5 (ARC5) that plays a vital role in chloroplast division in Arabidopsis. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing amino acid alteration in the conserved GTPase domain of Csa7G051430 showed co-segregation with the altered phenotype. Furthermore, a transient RNA interference of this gene resulted in reduced number and enlarged size of chloroplasts, which were also observed in the lgp mutant. These evidences support that the non-synonymous SNP in Csa7G051430 is the causative mutation for the light green peel. This study provides a new allele for cucumber breeding for light green fruits and additional resource for the study of chloroplast development.