Metabolite Quantitative Trait Loci for flavonoids provide new insights into the genetic architecture of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruit quality.

Flavonoids are products from specialized metabolism that contribute to fruit sensorial (color) and nutritional (antioxidant properties) quality. Here, using a pseudo full-sibling F-1 progeny previously studied for fruit sensorial quality of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa), we explored over two successive years the genetic architecture of flavonoid-related traits using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (13 compounds including anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols) and colorimetric assays (anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolics, and total antioxidant capacity (ferric reducing antioxidant power and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity)). Network correlation analysis highlighted the high connectivity of flavonoid compounds within each chemical class and low correlation with colorimetric traits except for anthocyanins. Mapping onto the female and male linkage maps of 152 flavonoid metabolic quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) and of 26 colorimetric QTLs indicated colocalization on few linkage groups of major flavonoid- and taste-related QTLs previously uncovered. These results pave the way for the discovery of genetic variations underlying flavonoid mQTLs and for marker-assisted selection of strawberry varieties with improved sensorial and nutritional quality.