The Hansen's baccata #2 gene Rvi12_Cd5 confers scab resistance to the susceptible apple cultivar "Gala Galaxy".

To enhance the breeding of new scab-resistant apple cultivars, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing major scab resistance genes is essential. Rvi12_Cd5 was previously identified as the best candidate gene for the Rvi12 scab resistance of the crab apple "Hansen's baccata #2" by gene prediction and in silico analysis. In the present study, Rvi12_Cd5 was used to transform the scab-susceptible apple cultivar "Gala Galaxy.

The de novo, chromosome-level genome assembly of the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) Cv. Marrone Di Chiusa Pesio.

Objectives: The sweet chestnut Castanea sativa Mill. is the only native Castanea species in Europe, and it is a tree of high economic value that provides appreciated fruits and valuable wood. In this study, we assembled a high-quality nuclear genome of the ancient Italian chestnut variety 'Marrone di Chiusa Pesio' using a combination of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads, whole-genome and Omni-C Illumina short reads.

Assessment and Partial Characterization of Candidate Genes in Dihydrochalcone and Arbutin Biosynthesis in an Apple-Pear Hybrid by Transcriptome Assembly.

Apples ( Borkh.) and pears ( L.) are valuable crops closely related within the Rosaceae family with reported nutraceutical properties derived from secondary metabolites including phloridzin and arbutin, which are distinctive phenolic metabolites characterizing apples and pears, respectively.

Insights into the cell-wall dynamics in grapevine berries during ripening and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

The cell wall (CW) is the dynamic structure of a plant cell, acting as a barrier against biotic and abiotic stresses. In grape berries, the modifications of pulp and skin CW during softening ensure flexibility during cell expansion and determine the final berry texture. In addition, the CW of grape berry skin is of fundamental importance for winemaking, controlling secondary metabolite extractability.

Insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying responses of apple trees to abiotic stresses.

Apple ([Formula: see text]) is a popular temperate fruit crop worldwide. However, its growth, productivity, and quality are often adversely affected by abiotic stresses such as drought, extreme temperature, and high salinity. Due to the long juvenile phase and highly heterozygous genome, the conventional breeding approaches for stress-tolerant cultivars are time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Application of new breeding techniques in fruit trees.

Climate change and rapid adaption of invasive pathogens pose a constant pressure on the fruit industry to develop improved varieties. Aiming to accelerate the development of better-adapted cultivars, new breeding techniques have emerged as a promising alternative to meet the demand of a growing global population. Accelerated breeding, cisgenesis, and CRISPR/Cas genome editing hold significant potential for crop trait improvement and have proven to be useful in several plant species.

A comparison of three different delivery methods for achieving CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing in L.

Root chicory ( L. var. ) is used to extract inulin, a fructose polymer used as a natural sweetener and prebiotic.

Bacterial Volatiles (mVOC) Emitted by the Phytopathogen Promote Growth and Oxidative Stress.

Phytopathogens are well known for their devastating activity that causes worldwide significant crop losses. However, their exploitation for crop welfare is relatively unknown. Here, we show that the microbial volatile organic compound (mVOC) profile of the bacterial phytopathogen, , enhances shoot and root growth.

The Role of Italy in the Use of Advanced Plant Genomic Techniques on Fruit Trees: State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

Climate change is deeply impacting the food chain production, lowering quality and yield. In this context, the international scientific community has dedicated many efforts to enhancing resilience and sustainability in agriculture. Italy is among the main European producers of several fruit trees; therefore, national research centers and universities undertook several initiatives to maintain the specificity of the 'Made in Italy' label.

Molecular characterization of intergeneric hybrids between and .

Apple () and pear () are economically important fruit crops well known for their unique textures, flavours, and nutritional qualities. Both genera are characterised by a distinct pattern of secondary metabolites, which directly affect not only resistance to certain diseases, but also have significant impacts on the flavour and nutritional value of the fruit. The identical chromosome numbers, similar genome size, and their recent divergence date, together with DNA markers have shown that apple and pear genomes are highly co-linear.

transcriptome assembly and functional analysis reveal a dihydrochalcone 3-hydroxylase(DHC3H) of wild species that produces sieboldin .

Sieboldin is a specialised secondary metabolite of the group of dihydrochalcones (DHC), found in high concentrations only in some wild species, closely related to the domesticated apple ( × L.). To date, the first committed step towards the biosynthesis of sieboldin remains unknown.

Regeneration of non-chimeric plants from DNA-free edited grapevine protoplasts.

The application of New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) in is highly desirable to introduce valuable traits while preserving the genotype of the elite cultivars. However, a broad application of NBTs through standard DNA-based transformation is poorly accepted by public opinion and law regulations in Europe and other countries due to the stable integration of exogenous DNA, which leads to transgenic plants possibly affected by chimerism. A single-cell based approach, coupled with a DNA-free transfection of the CRISPR/Cas editing machinery, constitutes a powerful tool to overcome these problems and maintain the original genetic make-up in the whole organism.

CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing applied to MdPGT1 in apple results in reduced foliar phloridzin without impacting plant growth.

Phloridzin is the most abundant polyphenolic compound in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), which results from the action of a key phloretin-specific UDP-2'-O-glucosyltransferase (MdPGT1). Here, we simultaneously assessed the effects of targeting MdPGT1 by conventional transgenesis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated genome editing.

Chasing Consistency: An Update of the Gene Family of × .

The 52 members of the Teosinte-Branched 1/Cycloidea/Proliferating Cell Factors (TCP) Transcription Factor gene family in × ( × ) were identified in 2014 on the first genome assembly, which was released in 2010. In 2017, a higher quality genome assembly for apple was released and is now considered to be the reference genome. Moreover, as in several other species, the identified genes were named based on the relative position of the genes on the chromosomes.

Knock-Out via CRISPR/Cas9 Reduces Stomatal Density in Grapevine.

Epidermal Patterning Factor Like 9 (EPFL9), also known as STOMAGEN, is a cysteine-rich peptide that induces stomata formation in vascular plants, acting antagonistically to other epidermal patterning factors (EPF1, EPF2). In grapevine there are two genes, and sharing 82% identity at protein level in the mature functional C-terminal domain. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 system was applied to functionally characterize in 'Sugraone', a highly transformable genotype.

MdMTA-mediated m A modification enhances drought tolerance by promoting mRNA stability and translation efficiency of genes involved in lignin deposition and oxidative stress.

Although the N -methyladenosine (m A) modification is the most prevalent RNA modification in eukaryotes, the global m A modification landscape and its molecular regulatory mechanism in response to drought stress remain unclear. Transcriptome-wide m A methylome profiling revealed that m A is mainly enriched in the coding sequence and 3' untranslated region in response to drought stress in apple, by recognizing the plant-specific sequence motif UGUAH (H=A, U or C). We identified a catalytically active component of the m A methyltransferase complex, MdMTA.

The Arabidopsis pattern recognition receptor EFR enhances fire blight resistance in apple.

Fire blight disease, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora (E. amylovora), is responsible for substantial losses in cultivated apples worldwide. An important mechanism of plant immunity is based on the recognition of conserved microbial molecules, named pathogen-associated or microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or MAMPs), through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), leading to pattern-triggered immunity (PTI).

Genetic Analysis and Fine Mapping of the Fire Blight Resistance Locus of on Linkage Group 12 Reveal First Candidate Genes.

× accession MAL0004 has been found to be resistant to moderately and highly virulent strains of the fire blight causal pathogen - the Gram-negative bacterium, . Genetic analyses with an F1 segregating population derived from crossing the highly susceptible apple cultivar 'Idared' and MAL0004 led to the detection and mapping of the fire blight resistance locus of to linkage group (LG)12 (). mapped at the distal end of LG12 below the apple SSR Hi07f01 in an interval of approximately 6 cM (Centimorgan), where both the fire blight resistance loci of 821 and 'Evereste' were located.

The regulatory module MdBT2-MdMYB88/MdMYB124-MdNRTs regulates nitrogen usage in apple.

Less than 40% of the nitrogen (N) fertilizer applied to soil is absorbed by crops. Thus, improving the N use efficiency of crops is critical for agricultural development. However, the underlying regulation of these processes remains largely unknown, particularly in woody plants.

Strategies to produce T-DNA free CRISPRed fruit trees via Agrobacterium tumefaciens stable gene transfer.

Genome editing via CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful technology, which has been widely applied to improve traits in cereals, vegetables and even fruit trees. For the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 components into dicotyledonous plants, Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated gene transfer is still the prevalent method, although editing is often accompanied by the integration of the bacterial T-DNA into the host genome. We assessed two approaches in order to achieve T-DNA excision from the plant genome, minimizing the extent of foreign DNA left behind.

Construction of a dense genetic map of the Malus fusca fire blight resistant accession MAL0045 using tunable genotyping-by-sequencing SNPs and microsatellites.

Although, the Pacific crabapple, Malus fusca, is a hardy and disease resistant species, studies relating to the genetics of its unique traits are very limited partly due to the lack of a genetic map of this interesting wild apple. An accession of M. fusca (MAL0045) of Julius Kühn-Institut collection in Germany is highly resistant to fire blight disease, incited by different strains of the causative pathogen-Erwinia amylovora.

Candidate gene mapping identifies genomic variations in the fire blight susceptibility genes HIPM and DIPM across the Malus germplasm.

Development of apple (Malus domestica) cultivars resistant to fire blight, a devastating bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora, is a priority for apple breeding programs. Towards this goal, the inactivation of members of the HIPM and DIPM gene families with a role in fire blight susceptibility (S genes) can help achieve sustainable tolerance. We have investigated the genomic diversity of HIPM and DIPM genes in Malus germplasm collections and used a candidate gene-based association mapping approach to identify SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) with significant associations to fire blight susceptibility.