Abstract
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is an economically important tropical fruit tree with hermaphrodite, male and female sex types. Hermaphroditic plants are the major type used for papaya production because their fruits have more commercial advantages than those of female plants. Sex determination of the seedlings, or during the early growth stages, is very important for the papaya seedling industry. Thus far, the only method for determining the sex type of a papaya at the seedling stage has been DNA analysis. In this study, a molecular technique—based on DNA analysis—was developed for detecting male-hermaphrodite-specific markers to examine the papaya’s sex type. This method is based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and does not require prior DNA purification. The results show that the method is an easy, efficient, and inexpensive way to determine a papaya’s sex. This is the first report on the LAMP assay, using intact plant materials-without DNA purification-as samples for the analysis of sex determination of papaya. We found that using high-efficiency DNA polymerase was essential for successful DNA amplification, using trace intact plant material as a template DNA source.
Highlights
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a species native to tropical America and a member of the Caricaceae family [1]
To reduce the cost and time needed for sex determination of papaya, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) analysis was attempted using intact plant materials as a DNA source
LAMP reaction was conducted in 10 ng of genomic DNA, and the results showed that the limit of amplification is 10−2 dilutions (0.1 ng) of genomic DNA extracted from papaya leaves (Figure S3)
Summary
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a species native to tropical America and a member of the Caricaceae family [1]. The plant’s three sex types are hermaphrodite, male, and female. Fruits from the female plants have more seeds and less flesh than hermaphrodite plants [2], so they usually have less economic value in the papaya industry [2]. Selecting hermaphrodite plants to cultivate is very important in papaya production. Sex type cannot be identified visually before flowering because there is no morphological feature that can be used as an indicator in the vegetative stage [3]. Farmers generally grow all three types in one location until flowering time, when papaya sex can be identified
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
