Somatic chimerism, genetic inheritance, and mapping of the fleshless berry (flb) mutation in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.).

The fleshless berry (flb) mutation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. 'Ugni Blanc') impairs the differentiation and division of inner mesocarp cells responsible for flesh in grapevine berries. In order to study the inheritance of the mutation and to map the flb locus, 5 segregating populations were created. Progeny plants were classified as mutant or wild type by scoring for the presence of an ovary phenotype associated with the Flb- phenotype at anthesis. Phenotypic segregation revealed the involvement of a single dominant allele that was heterozygous in the original mutant. Through bulk segregant analysis, microsatellite (simple sequence repeat (SSR)) markers linked to the mutation were identified, and the flb locus was assigned to linkage group 18. The locus position was then refined by analyzing individual progeny and the segregation of SSR markers in the target region with the closest marker 5.6 cM distant from the flb locus. All progeny with the Flb- ovary phenotype differed from the original fleshless berry mutant in that no berries formed after anthesis. Our data suggest that the original mutant plant was a chimera with the mutated allele present in only 1 cell layer (L2 layer) of the ovary and berry.