Molecular Genetics of Fruit Trees Research Group

The “Unravelling the genetic potential to promote tree fruit production: from developing new marker strategies to resolving persistent problems” Research Group aims to advance knowledge in the field of molecular genetics and genomics of fruit trees by studying the genetic variability of Prunus fruit-bearing and ornamental trees. It pursues innovative studies to develop genomic and chloroplast DNA markers efficiently used to characterize the genetic variability of Prunus species, to identify still unknown alleles of the self-incompatibility locus which is responsible for the maintenance of genetic diversity under natural conditions, and to exploit the still existing genetic variability. We use an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to study cultivated (cultivars and landraces of apricot, sour cherry, European plum, cherry laurel, apple, pear, medlar, Aronia, and Cornus) as well as wild-growing trees from the gene centres (e.g. apricots from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China or Armenia, Anatolia) and other untouched regions of the world to characterize and exploit their economically important traits. We provide solutions to carry out reliable cultivar associations in orchards. Our results will have both theoretical and practical value.

The project will enable us to emerge important generalizations across different species in how the variability at the S-locus can help identify and exploit still unused germplasm to assist future breeding programs. By addressing fundamental theoretical concepts of genomic changes, we will advance our understanding of the spatial distribution of allelic variants along the distribution lines from the gene centre to the current growing countries, the phylogenetic lineages of an extreme polyploid species, and the mutational frequencies of the Prunus-specific transposon, Falling Stones, FaSt. We will collect and include currently unused germplasm to keep/increase the genetic variability of Prunus fruit trees and provide donor genotypes for future breeding programs aiming to increase yield reliability.