Unveiling the Genetic Diversity and Demographic History of in Sierra Leone Using Genotyping-By-Sequencing.

is a rare Coffea species boasting a flavor profile comparable to Arabica coffee () and has a good adaptability to lowland tropical climates. This species faces increasing threats from climate change, deforestation, and habitat fragmentation in its West African homeland. Using 1037 novel SNP markers derived from Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS), we revealed the presence of three distinct natural populations (mean Fst = 0.

Draft hybrid genome sequence of phytopathogen strain MS-2, isolated from cacao in Ghana.

Here, we report a hybrid genome of strain MS-2, a cacao thread blight disease causing isolate that was collected from cacao leaves in Tafo, Eastern region, Ghana. The final assembly consists of 2,083 contigs spanning 69,843,039 bp, with 49.21% GC content, 92.

Three de novo assembled wild cacao genomes from the Upper Amazon.

Theobroma cacao, the chocolate tree, is indigenous to the Amazon basin, the greatest biodiversity hotspot on earth. Recent advancement in plant genomics highlights the importance of de novo sequencing of multiple reference genomes to capture the genome diversity present in different cacao populations. In this study, three high-quality chromosome-level genomes of wild cacao were constructed, de novo assembled with HiFi long reads sequencing, and scaffolded using a reference-free strategy.

The American Cherimoya Genome Reveals Insights into the Intra-Specific Divergence, the Evolution of , and a Putative Gene Cluster for Acetogenin Biosynthesis.

(cherimoya) is a species renowned for its delectable fruit and medicinal properties. In this study, we developed a chromosome-level genome assembly for the cherimoya 'Booth' cultivar from the United States. The genome assembly has a size of 794 Mb with a N50 = 97.

Cacao pod transcriptome profiling of seven genotypes identifies features associated with post-penetration resistance to Phytophthora palmivora.

The oomycete Phytophthora palmivora infects the fruit of cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) causing black pod rot and reducing yields. Cacao genotypes vary in their resistance levels to P. palmivora, yet our understanding of how cacao fruit respond to the pathogen at the molecular level during disease establishment is limited.

Genome-wide characterization and evolutionary analysis of the AP2/ERF gene family in lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

The APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) gene family plays vital roles in plants, serving as a key regulator in responses to abiotic stresses. Despite its significance, a comprehensive understanding of this family in lettuce remains incomplete. In this study, we performed a genome-wide search for the AP2/ERF family in lettuce and identified a total of 224 members.

Genotyping of Jujube ( spp.) Germplasm in New Mexico and Southwestern Texas.

Since the early 19th century, a substantial amount of jujube ( spp.) germplasm has been introduced from China and Europe into the United States. However, due to a lack of passport data, cultivar mislabeling is common and the genetic background of the introduced germplasm remains unknown.

Elucidation of tropane alkaloid biosynthesis in using a microbial pathway discovery platform.

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are heterocyclic nitrogenous metabolites found across seven orders of angiosperms, including Malpighiales (Erythroxylaceae) and Solanales (Solanaceae). Despite the well-established euphorigenic properties of Erythroxylaceae TAs like cocaine, their biosynthetic pathway remains incomplete. Using yeast as a screening platform, we identified and characterized the missing steps of TA biosynthesis in .

United States tea: A synopsis of ongoing tea research and solutions to United States tea production issues.

Tea is a steeped beverage made from the leaves of . Globally, this healthy, caffeine-containing drink is one of the most widely consumed beverages. At least 50 countries produce tea and most of the production information and tea research is derived from international sources.

Mitochondrial Genomics of Six Cacao Pathogens From the Basidiomycete Family .

Thread blight disease has recently been described as an emerging disease on cacao () in Ghana. In Ghana, thread blight disease is caused by multiple species of the family: , , and . Interestingly, two additional members of the ; (frosty pod rot) and (witches' broom disease), are major pathogens of cacao in the Western hemisphere.

The chromosome-level genome of dragon fruit reveals whole-genome duplication and chromosomal co-localization of betacyanin biosynthetic genes.

Dragon fruits are tropical fruits economically important for agricultural industries. As members of the family of Cactaceae, they have evolved to adapt to the arid environment. Here we report the draft genome of Hylocereus undatus, commercially known as the white-fleshed dragon fruit.

Effectiveness of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers in Genotyping Germplasm Collections of Using KASP Assay.

Accurate genotype identification is imperative for effective use of L. germplasm to breed new varieties with tolerance or resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses (including moisture stress and pest and disease stresses such as coffee berry borer and rust) and for high yield and improved cup quality. The present study validated 192 published single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and selected a panel of 120 loci to examine parentage and labeling errors, genetic diversity, and population structure in 400 accessions assembled from different coffee-producing countries and planted in a field gene bank in Ghana.

Accurate Differentiation of Green Beans of Arabica and Robusta Coffee Using Nanofluidic Array of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Markers.

Green (unroasted) coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. The Arabica (Coffea arabica L.) and Robusta (Coffea canephora Pierre ex A.

Elevated temperature and drought stress significantly affect fruit quality and activity of anthocyanin-related enzymes in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv. 'Lingwuchangzao').

The quality attributes of jujube fruit can be directly and indirectly affected by abiotic stresses associated with climate change. Increased temperature and drought are among the most important factors challenging sustainable jujube production in the temperate semi-arid region in northwest China. The main objective of the present study was to understand the effects of elevated air temperature and drought stress on sugar and acid accumulation and coloration of jujube fruits.

Draft genome sequence of fastidious pathogen , which causes vascular-streak dieback in .

Background: , a member of the family, is the causal agent of vascular-streak dieback (VSD) of cacao, a major threat to the chocolate industry in the South-East Asia. The fastidious pathogen is very hard to isolate and maintain in pure culture, which is a major bottleneck in the study of its genetic diversity and genome.

Result: This study describes for the first time, a 33.

Genome and transcriptome analysis of the latent pathogen , an emerging threat to the cacao industry.

(Pat.) Griffon & Maubl., a member of the family Botryosphaeriaceae, is becoming a significant threat to crops and woody plants in many parts of the world, including the major cacao growing areas.

Assessing hidden parentage and genetic integrity of the "United Fruit Clones" of cacao () from Costa Rica using SNP markers.

The international cacao collection in CATIE, Costa Rica contains nearly 1200 accessions of cacao, mainly from the center of genetic diversity of this species. Among these accessions, the United Fruit clones (UF clones) were developed by the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica, and they represent one of the earliest groups of improved cacao germplasm in the world. Some of these UF clones have been used as key progenitors for breeding resistance/tolerance to Frosty Pod and Black Pod diseases in the Americas.

Morphological variants of Moniliophthora roreri on artificial media and the biotroph/necrotroph shift.

Moniliophthora roreri (Mr) causes frosty pod rot of Theobroma cacao in a hemibiotrophic association. The Mr biotroph-like phase has not been studied in culture. Mr spores (isolates Co12, Co52, and B3) were germinated on high (V8) and low (BPMM) nutrients with different media hardness (0.

Moniliophthora roreri, causal agent of cacao frosty pod rot.

Unlabelled: Taxonomy: Moniliophthora roreri (Cif.) H.C.

and , Causal Agents of Black Pod Rot, Induce Similar Plant Defense Responses Late during Infection of Susceptible Cacao Pods.

(Pmeg) and (Ppal) cause black pod rot of L. (cacao). Of these two clade 4 species, Pmeg is more virulent and is displacing Ppal in many cacao production areas in Africa.

Phytophthora megakarya and P. palmivora, closely related causal agents of cacao black pod rot, underwent increases in genome sizes and gene numbers by different mechanisms.

(Pmeg) and (Ppal) are closely related species causing cacao black pod rot. Although Ppal is a cosmopolitan pathogen, cacao is the only known host of economic importance for Pmeg Pmeg is more virulent on cacao than Ppal We sequenced and compared the Pmeg and Ppal genomes and identified virulence-related putative gene models (PGeneM) that may be responsible for their differences in host specificities and virulence. Pmeg and Ppal have estimated genome sizes of 126.

Association mapping of seed and disease resistance traits in Theobroma cacao L.

Microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism markers that could be used in marker assisted breeding of cacao were identified for number of filled seeds, black pod resistance and witches' broom disease resistance. An association mapping approach was employed to identify markers for seed number and resistance to black pod and witches' broom disease (WBD) in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.).