Marker-assisted selection for resistance to potyvirus in sweet pepper

The objective of this work was to determine the presence of the Pvr4 allele, which controls the resistance to the PepYMV (Pepper yellow mosaic virus), in sweet pepper genotypes commonly available in the Brazilian market, using a CAPS codominant molecular marker. The resistance to PepYMV, in the genotypes CM-334-INRA, Myr-29, and in genotypes derived from the hybrid Monica-R, was found to be associated with the 444 bp band linked to the resistance allele Pvr4. Homozygous resistant plants (pvr4/pvr4) showed a single band of 444 bp, the susceptible ones (Pvr4(+)/Pvr4(+)) showed a band of 458 bp, and the heterozygous resistant plants (Pvr4(+)/Pvr4) showed both bands. However, in the resistant accession CM-334-UFV, and in the hybrids Magali-R and Martha-R, as well as in populations derived from this accession and these hybrids, the resistance to PepYMV was not associated to the CAPS marker. The accession CM-334-UFV ('Criollo de Morelos-334' from Vicosa, MG, Brazil) was distinct from CM-334-INRA ('Criollo de Morelos-334', from France); although both accessions were resistant to PepYMV, the association of resistance with the 444 bp band was found only in CM-334-INRA.