Abstract
This review is an overview of traditional and modern breeding methodologies being used to develop new Prunus cultivars (stone fruits) with major emphasis on peach, sweet cherry and Japanese plum. To this end, common breeding tools used to produce seedlings, including in vitro culture tools, are discussed. Additionally, the mechanisms of inheritance of many important agronomical traits are described. Recent advances in stone fruit transcriptomics and genomic resources are providing an understanding of the molecular basis of phenotypic variability as well as the identification of allelic variants and molecular markers. These have potential applications for understanding the genetic diversity of the Prunus species, molecular marker-assisted selection and transgenesis. Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) molecular markers are described as useful tools to describe genetic diversity in peach, sweet cherry and Japanese plum. Additionally, the recently sequenced peach genome and the public release of the sweet cherry genome are discussed in terms of their applicability to breeding programs.
Highlights
The genus Prunus (Rosaceae) encompasses several economically important stone fruit species such as peach, sweet cherry and plum, among others
Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) molecular markers are described as useful tools to describe genetic diversity in peach, sweet cherry and Japanese plum
The objective of this review is to describe the state of the art of traditional and molecular methodologies used in Prunus genetic improvement programs, with special emphasis on peach, cherry and plum
Summary
The genus Prunus (Rosaceae) encompasses several economically important stone fruit species such as peach, sweet cherry and plum, among others. Most of the cherries sold for consumption are called sweet cherries and are generally from the species Prunus avium, while those for cooking/processing are sour cherry (Prunus cerasus). Since the mid-1990s, Prunus species (especially peach, sweet cherry and plum) have been characterized molecularly (Belthoff et al, 1993; Dirlewanger et al, 2012). Molecular breeding in Prunus species is combining traditional plant physiology with genetic and genomic analyses to assist traditional breeding programs as well as using alternative technologies (i.e. transgenesis) to improve these cultivars. The objective of this review is to describe the state of the art of traditional and molecular methodologies used in Prunus genetic improvement programs, with special emphasis on peach, cherry and plum
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