Molecular Characterization in Fruit Tree Species: Novel Advances and Perspectives

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Genotype Evaluation and Breeding".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 2702

Special Issue Editors

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania Via Valdisavoia, 5-9123 Catania, Italy
Interests: breeding; germplasm characterization; minor fruit tree species; citrus; molecular characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5-9123 Catania, Italy
Interests: plant breeding; molecular markers; marker–trait association analysis; tree crops; genetic structure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the past thirty years, the molecular characterization of fruit tree species has been applied in many research areas, spanning from parentage analysis to marker-assisted selection (MAS), efficient germplasm collection and utilization. This Special Issue will attempt to gather examples of the most recent advances in the application of molecular markers in fruit tree species.

The characterization of plant diversity based on the analysis of DNA (i.e., molecular characterization) has become a common tool in plant species research. For fruit tree species, the use of molecular markers has proven to be a reliable tool for gathering information on the taxonomy, the genetic structure, and the pattern of similarity/dissimilarity among accessions. Furthermore, molecular-marker-based analysis represents a fundamental methodology to reconstruct pedigrees and resolve common cases of synonymy.

Regarding breeding, molecular markers have also been exploited for marker-assisted selection (MAS) approaches, that allow—especially for perennial species characterized by long juvenile phase—a more precise and time-effective selection of progenies and F1 populations, seeking for specific traits.

So far, a number of different DNA markers, such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), short sequence repeat (SSR), and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) have been developed.

Currently, SSRs and SNPs are the markers universally considered more reliable for many applications, especially considering the increasing number of genomes and sequence information available for most of the species of agronomic interest.

In the last several years, the decrease in costs of the genotyping platforms and the availability of high-quality reference genomes of many tree species of agronomical interest enabled the set-up of high-throughput genotyping assays aimed at the precise characterization of germplasm collections. This genotyping effort can be readily employed for varietal identification (true-to-type analysis), for plant, fruit, and derived-products traceability; for fingerprinting analysis of genetic resources; and for the selection of core collections (a fundamental step to preserve endangered species).

With the aim of offering an overview of the successful application of molecular markers for the molecular characterization of fruit tree species, we ask colleagues to share their recent findings providing details on innovative experimental plans and practical applications. This Special Issue also welcomes original manuscripts focused on the molecular characterization of neglected or minor crops.

Prof. Stefano Giovanni La Malfa
Dr. Mario Di Guardo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Genetic structure    
  • Fingerprinting
  • Marker-assisted selection
  • Traceability
  • Core collection
  • Pedigree reconstruction

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 3528 KiB  
Article
Anthocyanin Accumulation and Related Gene Expression Profile in ‘Red Zaosu’ Pear and Its Green Mutant
by Yunting Zhang, Shanlin Li, Xianjie Gu, Diya Lei, Bing Zhao, Honglan Tang, Yuanxiu Lin, Yan Wang, Mengyao Li, Qing Chen, Ya Luo, Xiaorong Wang, Haoru Tang and Yong Zhang
Agriculture 2021, 11(9), 898; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agriculture11090898 - 18 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2042
Abstract
Red-skinned pear is a promising commercial fruit due to its attractive appearance and nutritious value. Anthocyanin is the determinant of the red coloration of the pear peel. However, differences in anthocyanin accumulation exist among red pear cultivars with different genetic backgrounds. In this [...] Read more.
Red-skinned pear is a promising commercial fruit due to its attractive appearance and nutritious value. Anthocyanin is the determinant of the red coloration of the pear peel. However, differences in anthocyanin accumulation exist among red pear cultivars with different genetic backgrounds. In this study, we analyzed the anthocyanin content and gene expression patterns in the fruits and different tissues of the red pear ‘Red Zaosu’ at different developmental stages and found a difference in anthocyanin accumulation between ‘Red Zaosu’ pear and its green mutant. The data showed that the expression profiles of transcripts that encoded critical anthocyanin biosynthetic genes were basically consistent with a tendency to a decreased anthocyanin content during fruit development, indicating that a synergistic effect of these genes was responsible for anthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation. Tissue-specific expression analysis of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes showed that they could be expressed in all tissues but at different levels. PbF3H, PbDFR, and PbANS were mainly expressed during the early flowering period, which explained the reduced levels of anthocyanin content in petals. Additionally, the content of anthocyanins and the expression levels of PbDFR, PbANS, and PbMYB10 significantly decreased in the green mutant of ‘Red Zaosu’, suggesting that PbDFR, PbANS, and PbMYB10 probably play a decisive role in determining the skin coloration of ‘Red Zaosu’ and its green mutant. Full article
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