Epistasis of two classical color genes, B and L-2, synergistically controls carotenoid accumulation in squash
Lilin Xu, Xuesong Zhou, Emalee A. Wrightstone, Kay McNeary, Gregory Inzinna, Christopher Hernandez, Zhangjun Fei, Harry S. Paris, Amit Gur, Arthur A. Schaffer, James R. Myers, Lailiang Cheng, Li Li, Michael R. Mazourek
The paper identifies the molecular identities of B and L-2 genes in squash and reveals their synergistic epistatic interaction enhances carotenoid accumulation by upregulating the rate-limiting enzyme CpPSY-A.
bioRxiv · May 21, 2026 · PreprintPlant Biology