Abstract
Almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb.] as one of the oldest domesticated plants is thought to have originated in central Asia. Gametophytic self-incompatibility of almond is controlled by the highly polymorphic S-locus. The S-locus encodes for an S-ribonuclease (S-RNase) protein in the pistils, which degrades RNA in self-pollen tubes and hence stops their growing. This study was carried out to detect S-RNase allelic variants in Hungarian and Eastern European almond cultivars and Turkish wild growing seedlings, and characterize their S-allele pool. Five new alleles were identifi ed, S31H, S36-S39 in Eastern European local cultivars. The village Bademli and Akdamar island are two distinct places of almond natural occurrence in Turkey. Trees growing wild around Bademli city showed greater genetic diversity than those originated on Akdamar island. Many of the previously described 45 S-RNase alleles have been also detected in these regions. Homology searches revealed that Turkish almonds carried some P. webbii alleles indicating hybridization between the two cultivars and massive introgression events. Our results supply long-awaited information on almond S-allele diversity from regions between the main cultivation centres and the centre of origin of this species; and are discussed from the aspect of methodological developments and evolution of the cultivated almond.
Highlights
The putative origin of almond is in the arid mountainous regions of Central Asia (Grassely, 1976; Arús et al, 2009)
A total of 19 Eastern European and 70 Turkish almond accessions were used in the experiments including 39
To identify the S31-allele, an allele-specific primer pair was used according to Halász et al (2008)
Summary
P. amygdalus Batsch] is a member of Rosaceae familiy, Prunoideae subfamily. The Rosaceae family is one of the most important plant families in the temperate zone. This family includes economically important species (e.g. apple, apricot, plum, sweet and sour cherries, almond, strawberry and rose). Almond is commercially grown worldwide for its nuts. The putative origin of almond is in the arid mountainous regions of Central Asia (Grassely, 1976; Arús et al, 2009). Several wild species grow in the areas ranging from Tianshan through Afghanistan into Iran and Iraq (Grasselly, 1976; Kester & Gradziel, 1996)
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