Seasonal Dynamics and Distribution of in Infected Almond Trees.

This research focused on studying the dynamics of the bacterial pathogen in almond trees across different developmental stages. The objective was to understand the seasonal distribution and concentration of within almond trees. Different tree organs, including leaves, shoots, branches, fruits, flowers, and roots, from 10 -infected almond trees were sampled over 2 years.

Physiological characterization of the wild almond stem photosynthetic capability.

Leaves are the major plant tissue for transpiration and carbon fixation in deciduous trees. In harsh habitats, atmospheric CO assimilation stem photosynthesis is common, providing extra carbon gain to cope with the detrimental conditions. We studied two almond species, the commercial cultivar "Um-el-Fahem" and the rare wild .

The Pomegranate Deciduous Trait Is Genetically Controlled by a - Gene.

The pomegranate ( L.) is a deciduous fruit tree that grows worldwide. However, there are variants, which stay green in mild winter conditions and are determined evergreen.

Fine Mapping of the "black" Peel Color in Pomegranate ( L.) Strongly Suggests That a Mutation in the () Gene Is Responsible for the Trait.

Anthocyanins are important dietary and health-promoting substances present in high quantities in the peel and arils of the pomegranate ( L.) fruit. Yet, there is a high variation in the content of anthocyanin among different pomegranate varieties.

Pedigree analysis of 220 almond genotypes reveals two world mainstream breeding lines based on only three different cultivars.

Loss of genetic variability is an increasing challenge in tree breeding programs due to the repeated use of a reduced number of founder genotypes. However, in almond, little is known about the genetic variability in current breeding stocks, although several cases of inbreeding depression have been reported. To gain insights into the genetic structure in modern breeding programs worldwide, marker-verified pedigree data of 220 almond cultivars and breeding selections were analyzed.

Effects of nitrogen fertilization on pomegranate fruit, aril and juice quality.

Background: Nitrogen (N) fertilization influences plant growth and yield, and may also affect fruit quality. For two consecutive seasons, we examined the effects of various N fertilization levels - 5 to 200 mg L  - on pomegranate fruit, aril and juice quality. Evaluations included fruit and aril weight, size and color, appearance of peel blemishes, internal black rot and nutritional composition of extracted juices.

Elucidating the role of shikimate dehydrogenase in controlling the production of anthocyanins and hydrolysable tannins in the outer peels of pomegranate.

Background: The outer peels of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) possess two groups of polyphenols that have health beneficial properties: anthocyanins (ATs, which also affect peel color); and hydrolysable tannins (HTs). Their biosynthesis intersects at 3-dehydroshikimate (3-DHS) in the shikimate pathway by the activity of shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH), which converts 3-DHS to shikimate (providing the precursor for AT biosynthesis) or to gallic acid (the precursor for HTs biosynthesis) using NADPH or NADP as a cofactor.

Profiling of volatile terpenes from almond (Prunus dulcis) young fruits and characterization of seven terpene synthase genes.

Almond (Prunus dulcis) is an agricultural and economically important fruit tree from the Rosaceae family used in the food industry. The monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes perform important ecological functions such as insecticidal and antifeedant activities against various insects. The young fruits of the different almond varieties were found to produce considerable amounts of terpene volatiles, including linalool and geraniol.

Molecular mechanisms involved in postharvest chilling tolerance of pomegranate fruit.

Cold storage of pomegranates is essential for prolonging postharvest storage and for the implementation of cold-quarantine insect disinfestation treatments required for international trading. However, pomegranates are chilling sensitive; they may develop chilling injuries upon exposure to unfavorable low temperatures. In this mini-review, we summarize molecular data obtained from three different RNA Seq transcriptome analyses of responses of pomegranate fruits to cold storage.

Primary Metabolites, Anthocyanins, and Hydrolyzable Tannins in the Pomegranate Fruit.

Pomegranate ( L.) is an important and interesting fruit tree that is cultivated in many parts of the world. In recent years, along with the increase in its cultivation and consumption there has been a dramatic increase in the scientific interest in its biology, methods of cultivation, adaptation to environmental cues and its health-promoting properties.

A Pyrus communis gene for p-hydroxystyrene biosynthesis, has a role in defense against the pear psylla Cacopsylla biden.

Styrene analogs are known to be naturally synthesized in the leaves of pears and in other plant species, including several trees in the Styracaceae family. Styrene analogs are potential contributors to the aroma of wine, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and other fermented foods and beverages. In addition, styrene analogs perform important ecological functions such as insecticidal and antifeedant activities against insects.

Diversity among Pomegranate Varieties in Chilling Tolerance and Transcriptome Responses to Cold Storage.

We found great variability in chilling tolerance among 84 pomegranate varieties from the Newe Ya'ar collection; among them, 'Ganesh' was chilling-sensitive, whereas 'Wonderful' was relatively chilling-tolerant. To evaluate the different molecular responses of these varieties to cold storage, we analyzed the transcriptomic changes in the inner membrane tissues of 'Ganesh' and 'Wonderful' fruit after 2 weeks of cold storage at 1 °C. By functional categorization of the differentially expressed transcripts using MapMan, we found that many transcripts related to various pathways, such as jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling, galactinol, raffinose, phenol, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, calcium and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, lipid metabolism, and various transcription factors and heat-shock proteins, have been massively upregulated in 'Wonderful' but not in 'Ganesh' fruit.

Characterization of a UGT84 Family Glycosyltransferase Provides New Insights into Substrate Binding and Reactivity of Galloylglucose Ester-Forming UGTs.

Galloylated plant specialized metabolites play important roles in plant-environment interactions and in the promotion of human and animal health. The galloylation reactions are mediated by the formation of galloylglucose esters from gallic acid and UDP-glucose, catalyzed by the plant UGT84 family glycosyltransferases. To explore and exploit the structural determinants of UGT84 activities, we performed homology modeling and substrate docking of PgUGT84A23, a galloylglucose ester-forming family 84 UGT, as well as sequence comparisons of PgUGT84A23 with other functionally characterized plant UGTs.

Grafting on resistant interstocks reduces scion susceptibility to pear psylla, Cacopsylla bidens.

Background: Pear psylla is a major obstacle to efficient integrated pest management in pear orchards in Israel and around the world. We used two accessions with natural resistance to pear psylla Cacopsylla bidens (Šulc) - Py.760-261 (760) and Py.

A "White" Anthocyanin-less Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Caused by an Insertion in the Coding Region of the Leucoanthocyanidin Dioxygenase (LDOX; ANS) Gene.

Color is an important determinant of pomegranate fruit quality and commercial value. To understand the genetic factors controlling color in pomegranate, chemical, molecular and genetic characterization of a "white" pomegranate was performed. This unique accession is lacking the typical pomegranate color rendered by anthocyanins in all tissues of the plant, including flowers, fruit (skin and arils) and leaves.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism markers from de-novo assembly of the pomegranate transcriptome reveal germplasm genetic diversity.

Pomegranate is a valuable crop that is grown commercially in many parts of the world. Wild species have been reported from India, Turkmenistan and Socotra. Pomegranate fruit has a variety of health-beneficial qualities.

Two pear accessions evaluated for susceptibility to pear psylla Cacopsylla bidens (Šulc) in Israel.

Background: The pear psylla, Cacopsylla bidens (Šulc), is one of the most damaging pests of commercial pear orchards in Israel. Psylla control is a major obstacle to efficient integrated pest management, necessitating research on cultivars with natural resistance to pear psylla. Recently, two pear accessions (Py.

Partial identification of antifungal compounds from Punica granatum peel extracts.

Aqueous extracts of pomegranate peels were assayed in vitro for their antifungal activity against six rot fungi that cause fruit and vegetable decay during storage. The growth rates of Alternaria alternata , Stemphylium botryosum , and Fusarium spp. were significantly inhibited by the extracts.

A pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) WD40-repeat gene is a functional homologue of Arabidopsis TTG1 and is involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis during pomegranate fruit development.

Anthocyanins are the major pigments responsible for the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit skin color. The high variability in fruit external color in pomegranate cultivars reflects variations in anthocyanin composition.

Climate effects on anthocyanin accumulation and composition in the pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit arils.

Worldwide pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) production has expanded greatly due to recent evidence on the fruit health attributes. The fruit's unique red color, conferred by anthocyanins, is an imperative sensory quality.

Glutathione peroxidase regulation of reactive oxygen species level is crucial for in vitro plant differentiation.

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) is overexpressed in plants under abiotic and biotic stress conditions that mediate oxidative stress. To study its biological role and its ability to confer stress resistance in plants, we tried to obtain transgenic plants overexpressing citrus (Citrus sinensis) PHGPx (cit-PHGPx). All attempts to obtain regenerated plants expressing this enzyme constitutively failed.

Color, sugars and organic acids composition in aril juices and peel homogenates prepared from different pomegranate accessions.

The current study describes differences in pomegranate fruit size and aril weight of 29 accessions grown in Israel. The contents of sugars and organic acids in their aril juices and peel homogenates, as well as color parameters, were determined. While the levels of total soluble solids (TSS) and soluble sugars in the aril juices differ only slightly, those of titratable acidity (TA) and citric acid changed significantly, suggesting that they are the main contributors to juice taste.

Mapping quantitative trait loci associated with chilling requirement, heat requirement and bloom date in peach (Prunus persica).

*Chilling requirement, together with heat requirement, determines the bloom date, which has an impact on the climatic distribution of the genotypes of tree species. The molecular basis of floral bud chilling requirement is poorly understood, despite its importance to the adaptation and production of fruit trees. In addition, the genetic nature of heat requirement and the genetic interrelationships among chilling requirement, heat requirement and bloom date remain unclear.