Genetic Improvement in Horticultural Plants

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 November 2023) | Viewed by 3762

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Aburaihan Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Interests: fruit breeding; biotechnology; micropropagation; propagation; nut crops; walnut; pecan
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genetic improvement in horticultural plants are crucial to the sustainable production of fruits, vegetables, medicinal and ornamental plants. This Special Issue of Genes will focus on using of genetic resources, traditional breeding, and genomic technologies to develop superior cultivars or rootstocks with improved performance and resilience, particularly under climate change condition.

We invite manuscript submissions on a range of topics related to genetic improvement, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Identification, conservation, and exploration of genetic resources for improving horticultural crops, including wild relatives, locally adapted populations, and landraces;
  • Use of traditional breeding techniques, such as selection and hybridization, to develop new cultivars with improved performance;
  • Integration of genomic technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), gene editing using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, and system biology, into traditional breeding programs to speed up the development of new cultivars with improved performance;
  • Use of genomic-assisted breeding approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), marker-assisted selection (MAS), and genomic selection (GS) to improve the efficiency and precision of traditional breeding programs;
  • Application of genetic engineering and system biology approaches to engineer novel traits in horticultural crops;
  • Use of genetic diversity to enhance the nutritional content, flavor, and aroma of horticultural crops.

Looking forward receiving your papers.

Prof. Dr. Kourosh Vahdati
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • genetic diversity
  • gene
  • genomics
  • breeding
  • variety
  • rootstock

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4812 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the MYB Transcription Factor Family in Salvia nemorosa
by Huan Yang, Chen Chen, Limin Han, Xiao Zhang and Ming Yue
Genes 2024, 15(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15010110 - 17 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1517
Abstract
The MYB transcription factor gene family is among the most extensive superfamilies of transcription factors in plants and is involved in various essential functions, such as plant growth, defense, and pigment formation. Salvia nemorosa is a perennial herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family, [...] Read more.
The MYB transcription factor gene family is among the most extensive superfamilies of transcription factors in plants and is involved in various essential functions, such as plant growth, defense, and pigment formation. Salvia nemorosa is a perennial herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and S. nemorosa has various colors and high ornamental value. However, there is little known about its genome-wide MYB gene family and response to flower color formation. In this study, 142 SnMYB genes (MYB genes of S. nemorosa) were totally identified, and phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, gene structures, and expression profiles during flower development stages were analyzed. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that MYB proteins in S. nemorosa could be categorized into 24 subgroups, as supported by the conserved motif compositions and gene structures. Furthermore, according to their similarity with AtMYB genes associated with the control of anthocyanin production, ten SnMYB genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis were speculated and chosen for further qRT-PCR analyses. The results indicated that five SnMYB genes (SnMYB75, SnMYB90, SnMYB6, SnMYB82, and SnMYB12) were expressed significantly differently in flower development stages. In conclusion, our study establishes the groundwork for understanding the anthocyanin biosynthesis of the SnMYB gene family and has the potential to enhance the breeding of S. nemorosa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Improvement in Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 4094 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Association Study of Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Properties in Eggplant Germplasm
by Nayoung Ro, Mesfin Haile, Ho-Cheol Ko, Gyu-Taek Cho, Jungro Lee, Bichsaem Kim, Sookyeong Lee and Seong-Hoon Kim
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071315 - 22 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1745
Abstract
The phenolic compounds in eggplant offer potential natural antioxidants for improved health. A large number of samples were examined in order to find eggplant germplasm with a high potential for health promotion. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify single nucleotide [...] Read more.
The phenolic compounds in eggplant offer potential natural antioxidants for improved health. A large number of samples were examined in order to find eggplant germplasm with a high potential for health promotion. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with variations in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity in eggplants, including ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). TPC values varied from 14.19 to 842.90 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g of dry weight of eggplant fruit powder. TPC showed a strong positive correlation with both FRAP and ABTS (r = 0.89 *** and 0.77 ***, respectively). The GWAS identified 20 SNPs that were significantly associated out of 29,183 SNPs. Out of the 20 significant SNPs, 11 showed associations with TPC, 4 with ABTS activity, and 5 with FRAP. Among the SNPs associated with TPC, one SNP was found on each of Chromosomes 3, 4, 7, and 12. In contrast, Chromosome 5 comprised two SNPs associated to TPC. Furthermore, the gene encoding IRX12 laccase-4 on Chromosome 10 was found to contain five SNPs associated with TPC. Four significantly linked SNPs on Chromosomes 1 (1 SNP), 4 (2 SNPs), and 10 (1 SNP) were found to be related to ABTS activity. The identified SNPs will be further examined as markers for selecting desirable eggplant varieties and exploring the links between candidate genes, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. The findings of this study could assist in further study and the development of eggplants with improved health advantages through targeted breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Improvement in Horticultural Plants)
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