Identifying quantitative trait loci for steviol glycoside production in Stevia rebaudiana using transcriptome-derived SSRs

Stevia (Stevia rebuadiana Bertoni) is a perennial shrub grown for the extraction of sweet tasting, nonnutritive compounds called steviol glycosides (SGs) from leaves, which are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The most abundant SGs, stevioside and rebaudioside (Reb) A, have undesirable taste characteristics that limited their acceptance as sugar substitute. SGs Reb D M offer similar sweetening intensity but with superior profile. However, these produced in much lower concentrations A. genetic control SG biosynthesis only partially understood, hampering efforts develop new varieties producing high desired SGs. Here we report development reference transcriptome diverse set stevia tissues. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were mined transcriptome, linkage map pseudo test-cross F1 population was generated 97 SSRs. This exhibited transgressive segregation broad-sense heritability estimates many leaf biomass yield content-related traits across two field locations. Two quantitative trait loci (QTL), each explaining 14.0–16.6 % observed variation, identified concentration. Additional QTL A concentration, vigor, plant height. study represents first will aid future molecular marker gene discovery economically important stevia.