Irregular green netting of eggplant fruit peel: a domestication trait controlled by SmGLK2 with potential for fruit colour diversification.

The distribution of chlorophylls in eggplant (Solanum melongena) peel exhibits either a uniform pattern or an irregular green netting pattern. The latter, manifested as a gradient of dark green netting that is intensified in the proximal part of the fruit on a pale green background, is common in wild relatives and some eggplant landraces. Despite the selection of uniform chlorophylls during domestication, the netting pattern contributes to a greater diversity of fruit colours.

Convergent evolution of plant prickles by repeated gene co-option over deep time.

An enduring question in evolutionary biology concerns the degree to which episodes of convergent trait evolution depend on the same genetic programs, particularly over long timescales. In this work, we genetically dissected repeated origins and losses of prickles-sharp epidermal projections-that convergently evolved in numerous plant lineages. Mutations in a cytokinin hormone biosynthetic gene caused at least 16 independent losses of prickles in eggplants and wild relatives in the genus .

A novel tomato interspecific ( var. and ) MAGIC population facilitates trait association and candidate gene discovery in untapped exotic germplasm.

We developed a novel eight-way tomato multiparental advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population to improve the accessibility of tomato relatives genetic resources to geneticists and breeders. The interspecific tomato MAGIC population (ToMAGIC) was obtained by intercrossing four accessions each of var. and , which are the weedy relative and the ancestor of cultivated tomato, respectively.

Growth and antioxidant responses to water stress in eggplant MAGIC population parents, F hybrids and a subset of recombinant inbred lines.

Background: The generation of new eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars with drought tolerance is a main challenge in the current context of climate change. In this study, the eight parents (seven of S.

Characterization of Browning, Chlorogenic Acid Content, and Polyphenol Oxidase Activity in Different Varietal Types of Eggplant () for Improving Visual and Nutritional Quality.

Eggplant ( L.) breeding for fruit quality has mostly focused on visual traits and nutritional and bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acid. However, higher contents of chlorogenic acid may lead to more pronounced fruit flesh browning.