Publications by authors named "Maria-Jose Diez"

Article Synopsis
  • A new eight-way tomato MAGIC population (ToMAGIC) was created by intercrossing different tomato accessions, aimed at enhancing the use of genetic resources for breeders.
  • The population includes 354 lines with extensive genotyping, revealing high homozygosity and balanced representation of ancestral genetic material.
  • Initial testing showed strong links between various traits like fruit size and pigmentation to specific genes, suggesting ToMAGIC lines could significantly aid tomato breeding by introducing new genetic variations.
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Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is an important Solanaceous crop, widely cultivated and consumed in Asia, the Mediterranean basin, and Southeast Europe. Its domestication centers and migration and diversification routes are still a matter of debate. We report the largest georeferenced and genotyped collection to this date for eggplant and its wild relatives, consisting of 3499 accessions from seven worldwide genebanks, originating from 105 countries in five continents.

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European traditional tomato varieties have been selected by farmers given their consistent performance and adaptation to local growing conditions. Here we developed a multipurpose core collection, comprising 226 accessions representative of the genotypic, phenotypic, and geographical diversity present in European traditional tomatoes, to investigate the basis of their phenotypic variation, gene×environment interactions, and stability for 33 agro-morphological traits. Comparison of the traditional varieties with a modern reference panel revealed that some traditional varieties displayed excellent agronomic performance and high trait stability, as good as or better than that of their modern counterparts.

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The agricultural scenario of the upcoming decades will face major challenges for the increased and sustainable agricultural production and the optimization of the efficiency of water and fertilizer inputs. Considering the current and foreseen water scarcity in several marginal and arid areas and the need for a more sustainable farming production, the selection and development of cultivars suitable to grow under low-input conditions is an urgent need. In this study, we assayed 42 tomato genotypes for thirty-two morpho-physiological and agronomic traits related to plant, fruit, and root characteristics under standard (control) and no-nitrogen fertilization or water deficit (30% of the amount given to non-stressed trials) treatments in two sites (environments), which corresponded to organic farms located in Italy and Spain.

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The Mediterranean basin countries are considered secondary centres of tomato diversification. However, information on phenotypic and allelic variation of local tomato materials is still limited. Here we report on the evaluation of the largest traditional tomato collection, which includes 1499 accessions from Southern Europe.

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A comprehensive collection of 1254 tomato accessions, corresponding to European traditional and modern varieties, early domesticated varieties, and wild relatives, was analyzed by genotyping by sequencing. A continuous genetic gradient between the traditional and modern varieties was observed. European traditional tomatoes displayed very low genetic diversity, with only 298 polymorphic loci (95% threshold) out of 64 943 total variants.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the opportunities and challenges in agriculture, focusing on the increasing demand for sustainable food production, using a large collection of tomato varieties for research on important agricultural traits.
  • A study involving 244 tomato accessions grown organically revealed significant phenotypic diversity and demonstrated that certain traits, like fruit weight, have high heritability, indicating strong genetic control.
  • Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 59 loci associated with specific flower and fruit traits, highlighting key genes linked to fruit characteristics and suggesting areas for future breeding efforts.
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Genebanks collect and preserve vast collections of plants and detailed passport information, with the aim of preserving genetic diversity for conservation and breeding. Genetic characterization of such collections has the potential to elucidate the genetic histories of important crops, use marker-trait associations to identify loci controlling traits of interest, search for loci undergoing selection, and contribute to genebank management by identifying taxonomic misassignments and duplicates. We conducted a genomic scan with genotyping by sequencing (GBS) derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 10,038 pepper ( spp.

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Given the little variability among commercialised eggplants mainly in developed countries, exploring, and structuring of traditional varieties germplasm collections have become a key element for extending ecotypes and promoting biodiversity preservation and consumption. Thirty-one eggplant landraces from Spain were characterised with 22 quantitative and 14 qualitative conventional morphological descriptors. Landraces were grouped based on their fruit skin colour (black-purple, striped, white, and reddish).

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Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) is a severe threat for cucurbit production worldwide. Resistance has been reported in several crops, but at present, there are no described accessions with resistance to ToLCNDV in cucumber (). var.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sweet pepper is a significant economic fruit with vital nutritional benefits, and the study focused on its bioactive compounds and antioxidant levels across 18 landraces at two maturity stages (green and red).
  • The ripening process notably increased most bioactive compounds, with red fruits showing substantial gains, indicating that ripeness is crucial for enhancing fruit quality.
  • Certain landraces, like P-44 and P-46, stood out for their high levels of carotenoids, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds, highlighting the variability in bioactive concentration and the role of traditional landraces in agricultural biodiversity and potential breeding efforts.
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In Spain, there has been a progressive increase in aging. Specifically, Leon has been one of the Spanish provinces with the highest aging index. Polypharmacy is highly prevalent among the elderly, with significant consequences for safety.

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Trichomes are a common morphological defense against pests, in particular, type IV glandular trichomes have been associated with resistance against different invertebrates. Cultivated tomatoes usually lack or have a very low density of type IV trichomes. Therefore, for sustainable management of this crop, breeding programs could incorporate some natural defense mechanisms, such as those afforded by trichomes, present in certain species.

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The wild Solanum pimpinellifolium (SP) and the weedy S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (SLC) are largely unexploited genetic reservoirs easily accessible to breeders, as they are fully cross-compatible with cultivated tomato (S.

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Article Synopsis
  • ddRAD-seq was used to analyze the genomic diversity among 288 diverse tomato accessions, focusing on long shelf life (LSL) 'da serbo' varieties primarily from Italy and Spain.
  • The study identified 32,799 high-quality SNPs, revealing six genetic subgroups that show variations based on the type and geographical origin of the accessions.
  • The research highlighted several alleles linked to stress tolerance and fruit maturation, suggesting that 'da serbo' germplasm may be a valuable resource for breeding resilient tomato varieties.
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Article Synopsis
  • Increasing global agricultural production requires innovative breeding techniques, such as Multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) populations, which consist of diverse genetic lines derived from multiple parent plants.
  • MAGIC populations offer advantages over traditional breeding methods by providing high levels of genetic recombination, diverse phenotypes, and can be designed using specific cross methodologies, leading to better crop outcomes.
  • Despite the complexities involved in developing MAGIC populations, they are gaining popularity in various crops due to their effectiveness in trait analysis and breeding, with ongoing advancements opening up new breeding strategies yet to be fully explored.
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Article Synopsis
  • Advances in sequencing and genotyping have increased the demand for high-quality genomic DNA, but traditional extraction methods often yield low-quality or insufficient amounts.
  • SILEX is a new DNA extraction method that combines a standard CTAB protocol with silica matrix recovery, producing high-quality, high molecular weight gDNA suitable for next-generation sequencing.
  • Compared to other extraction techniques, SILEX is quicker, cheaper, and yields better quality DNA, successfully validating its effectiveness across various plant species.
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A collection of 163 accessions, including , var. and var. , was selected to represent the genetic and morphological variability of tomato at its centers of origin and domestication: Andean regions of Peru and Ecuador and Mesoamerica.

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Single primer enrichment technology (SPET) is a new, robust, and customizable solution for targeted genotyping. Unlike genotyping by sequencing (GBS), and like DNA chips, SPET is a targeted genotyping technology, relying on the sequencing of a region flanking a primer. Its reliance on single primers, rather than on primer pairs, greatly simplifies panel design, and allows higher levels of multiplexing than PCR-based genotyping.

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Modern tomatoes have narrow genetic diversity limiting their improvement potential. We present a tomato pan-genome constructed using genome sequences of 725 phylogenetically and geographically representative accessions, revealing 4,873 genes absent from the reference genome. Presence/absence variation analyses reveal substantial gene loss and intense negative selection of genes and promoters during tomato domestication and improvement.

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Genebanks were created by the middle of the twentieth century to preserve cultivated biodiversity when landraces began to be substituted by modern varieties. This move was generally accepted as a necessary step to safeguard the future. After about 75 years of collecting and maintaining genetic resources, the increasing ability of biotechnology to create new variability brings the roles of genebanks in the present and near future into question.

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Background: Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic agent frequently used in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this study, we have investigated the influence of the dietary fiber Plantago ovata husk on the pharmacokinetics of this drug when included in the diet, as well as when administered at the same time as metformin.

Methods: Six groups of 6 rabbits were used.

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Background: Several studies have indicated that dietary fiber may have a protective effect on gastrointestinal mucosa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective action of the soluble fiber Plantago ovata husk against intestinal damage.

Methods: To evaluate the anti-ulcerogenic effect on duodenal mucosa of the soluble fiber Plantago ovata husk, low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (10 mg/kg) was given orally to animals once daily for 14 or 28 days with and without Plantago ovata husk (100 mg/kg).

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Background: Mastitis is one of the most important diseases affecting dairy sheep. Antimicrobial drugs are often administered directly through teat to treat or prevent this disease, but data on drug distribution within glandular tissue are scarce and it cannot be estimated from concentrations in milk. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate systemic and mammary gland distribution of enrofloxacin after intramammary administration.

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