The Genes of Pumpkin and Squash

2005/10/01 by Harry S. Paris, Rebecca Nelson Brown, Rebecca Brown · 109 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Advances in Cucurbitaceae Research #Biology #Botany #Chromosomal and Genetic Variations #Cucurbita #Cucurbita maxima #Cucurbita moschata #Cucurbita pepo #Cucurbitaceae #Gene #Genetics #Inheritance (genetic algorithm) #Plant Virus Research Studies #Squash

paper · pdf · doi:10.21273/hortsci.40.6.1620

published in HortScience 40(6), 1620-1630 (American Society for Horticultural Science)

openalex publication_date 2005/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

Pumpkin and squash ( Cucurbita L. spp.) are important cucurbit crops and are grown in almost all arable regions of the world. The three economically important species, Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, and Cucurbita maxima Duchesne are highly polymorphic in fruit characteristics, inspiring much research into their inheritance. A comprehensive list of genes for Cucurbita was last published more than a decade ago. This new gene list for pumpkin and squash includes descriptions of gene interactions and the genetic background of the parents that had been used for crossing to allow easy confirmation of previous work and provide a sound foundation for further investigation. This gene list includes 79 loci for phenotypic/morphological traits and 48 polymorphic allozyme loci. Linkage and mapping are discussed.

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• Pleiotropic mutation in a tendril TCP gene underlies the yield-enhancing multiple-flowering trait in summer squash ( Cucurbita pepo )
• Crop Sorghum Ensiled With Unsalable Vegetables Increases Silage Microbial Diversity. [europepmc]
• Molecular Mapping and Candidate Gene Analysis for GA 3 Responsive Short Internode in Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ). [europepmc]
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• Higher-Quality Pumpkin Cultivars Need to Recruit More Abundant Soil Microbes in Rhizospheres. [europepmc]
• Characterization of the USDA Cucurbita pepo , C. moschata , and C. maxima germplasm collections. [europepmc]
• Alternative Splicing of NAC Transcription Factor Gene CmNST1 Is Associated with Naked Seed Mutation in Pumpkin, Cucurbita moschata . [europepmc]
• Identification of Powdery Mildew Resistance-Related Genes in Butternut Squash ( Cucurbita moschata ). [europepmc]
• Integrated Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Elucidates the Defense Mechanisms of Pumpkin Against Gummy Stem Blight. [europepmc]
• Exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid promotes 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biosynthesis by enriching glutamate and optimizing its metabolic flux in pumpkin. [europepmc]

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• Population genomics of Mexican landraces of the squash Cucurbita moschata reveals structure and environmental adaptation
• The USDA-SCRI CucCAP Projects: Building Genomic, Breeding and Disease Management Tools for Cucurbit Crops