Microspore embryogenesis induced through in vitro anther culture of almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.)

Anther culture is one of the most widely used methods to induce gametic embryogenesis. The aim of this investigation was to induce microspore embryogenesis in almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.), through this technique. Anthers were cultured at the vacuolated developmental stage, and seven cultivars, two culture media and two temperature treatments were assessed. Although evidence of the microspore induction was observed in all the genotypes and treatments tested (symmetrical nucleus division and multinucleated structures), calli were produced merely by anthers cultured in the medium P and the regeneration of embryos was detected only in anthers of the cultivars Filippo Ceo, Lauranne and Genco, pl…

Le cultivar siciliane di ciliegio dolce: aspetti fenologici, morfologici e genetico-molecolari

Identification of (In)Compatible S-genotypes and Molecular Characterisation of Italian Sweet Cherry Cultivars.

Italy is the first sweet cherry producer in Europe. Its rich germplasm of local varieties has not been fully characterised or exploited in breeding programmes. Sweet cherry is a self-incompatible species; this trait is controlled by a gametophytically expressed multi-allelic (S) locus. The knowledge of sweet cherry S-alleles and cross-incompatibility groups is important for growers and breeders for choosing appropriate pollinators in the orchard and planning crosses. In this work, we analysed 94 sweet cherry cultivars native of large part of the Italian regions where cherry is grown. The microsatellite primer pair set and the reference cultivars agreed for cherry by the Prunus Working Group…

Intra-allelic variation in introns of the S13-RNase allele distinguishes sweet, wild and sour cherries

The cherry (Prunus avium), a self-incompatible diploid species, and the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), a self-incompatible or self-compatible allotetraploid species derived from P. avium and Prunus fruticosa, share several S-RNase alleles, including S13. An inactive form, S13° ,i s found in some sour cherries. Two (AT) microsatellites are associated with allele S13-RNase, one in the first intron and one in the second. Their length polymorphisms were studied in 14 sweet and 17 wild cherries (both P. avium) and in 42 sour cherries. Fluorescent primers amplifying each microsatellite were designed and amplification prod- ucts sized on an automated sequencer. Variants ranged from 247 to 273 bp fo…

Development of a Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Rapid Detection of Olea Europaea Geminivirus

A real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for simple, rapid and efficient detection of the Olea europaea geminivirus (OEGV), a virus recently reported in different olive cultivation areas worldwide. A preliminary screening by end-point PCR for OEGV detection was conducted to ascertain the presence of OEGV in Sicily. A set of six real-time LAMP primers, targeting a 209-nucleotide sequence elapsing the region encoding the coat protein (AV1) gene of OEGV, was designed for specific OEGV detection. The specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of the diagnostic assay were determined. The LAMP assay showed no cross-reactivity with other geminiviruses and was allow…

The origin of the self-compatible almond ‘Supernova’

The almond cultivar 'Supernova' is reported in the literature as a late-flowering self-compatible mutant, obtained by the irradiation of the early-flowering self-incompatible cultivar 'Fascionello'. Our work to investigate the molecular basis of this form of self-compatibility has called into question the origin of 'Supernova'. Test selfing was performed both on 'Supernova' and on the accession of 'Fascionello' from which it was derived - 'Fascionello-Rome'. Both proved self-compatible. Amplification of S-RNase alleles, using consensus primers from the signal peptide region to the second conserved region of the S-RNase gene and primers specific for allele S f , confirmed 'Supernova' and 'Fa…

Genetic diversity and clonal variation within the main Sicilian olive cultivars based on morphological traits and microsatellite markers

The richness of Olea europaea (L.) genetic resources in Sicily is well documented. In the last 30 years, mostof the local cultivars, landraces and ecotypes have been gathered together in a large ex-situ collection,containing more than 300 genotypes. In this study, 45 putative clones of the main Sicilian olive cultivarswere characterized morphologically using microsatellite markers to unambiguously identify possiblesuperior genotypes. The microsatellites employed were polymorphic (observed heterozygosity = 0.71;polymorphic information content = 0.59), discriminated 52% of the genotypes and enabled the detectionof intra-cultivar polymorphism, derived from both somatic mutations, indicating th…

The Sicilian peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) germplasm: Evaluation of genetic diversity using SSRs

The decrease in worldwide consumption of peaches due to the poor flavour quality of the fruit has increased the demand for new tasty cultivars. The availability of plant genetic resources is an important prerequisite for improving fruit quality by breeding. In Sicily there is a large collection of local cultivated peaches, whose production fills a niche in the local markets, but which is at risk of disappearing. Their characteristics include highly aromatic fruit and late ripening. Because of their important agronomic characteristics, the Department of Colture Arboree of Palermo University has collected the most interesting accessions to safeguard them and to use the indigenous resources in…

Preliminary identification of self-incompatibility genotypes of Sicilian almond landraces

Sicily is the main almond producer in Italy. The almond tree is one of the main protagonists of the Sicilian agrarian landscape, especially in the winter, when the bare branches are covered by white or pinkish flowers. Its presence is particularly significant in the province of Agrigento, in Syracuse and in Ragusa areas, where the almond nut is used for fresh consumption and for the preparation of typical sweets. The extremely rich Sicilian almond germplasm can be useful for genetic improvement, since many local landraces possess aromatic characteristics of the nuts of high value. Self-incompatibility in this species is gametophytic and controlled by a multi-allelic S locus, coding for the …

Morphological and genetic variation of Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) in relation to the altitude

The Mediterranean dwarf palm (Chamaerops humilis L.) is native to Western and Central Mediterranean. Since classical times this species has been cultivated and several varieties have been described on material of unknown origins. In this study, plants grown from seeds collected in the wild from seven populations spread along the Mediterranean basin were cultivated under the same environmental conditions, investigated morphologically and genetically by screening the polymorphism of ten SSR loci. Two groups are clearly separated, the populations growing at low altitudes and those living above a thousand meters of altitude. Due to morphological, geographic and environmental isolation, here it …

Genetic relationships, structure and parentage simulation among the olive tree (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea) cultivated in Southern Italy revealed by SSR markers

In this work, we assess both the morphological and genetic diversity of 68 important olive cultivars from three Southern Italian regions: Calabria, Campania and Sicily. Twenty-five phenotypic traits were evaluated and 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were analysed. All SSR primers were polymorphic and reliable. The total number of alleles per locus varied from 5 to 19 with an average number of 13.1 and a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.81. These results suggested high genetic diversity within these three olive germplasm collections. Morphological traits also showed significant variability amongst cultivars. Two cases of identity were found and ten statistically signif…

RNA-Seq analysis to investigate alternate bearing mechanism in Pistacia vera L

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) production suffers a high level of alternate bearing. The mechanism underlying this negative phenomenon is different from other species, such as apple and olive. Pistachio produces a high number of inflorescence buds every year that in heavy cropping trees (“ON”) mostly fall during the kernel development phase, which occurs in July-August. Primary metabolites (i.e., carbohydrates) play a key role in the signaling related to inflorescence bud abscission. In this work, RNA-Seq was used as a tool to investigate transcriptome of inflorescence buds and fruits, sampled from branches with low (“OFF”) and high (“ON”) crop load. Reference based RNA-Seq analysis using Ara…

Germoplasma etneo di noce sotto la lente degli studiosi.

Development of “universal” gene-specific markers from Malus spp. cDNA sequences, their mapping and use in synteny studies within Rosaceae

The Rosaceae contains many economically valuable crop genera, including Malus (apple), Fragaria (strawberry), and Prunus (stone fruit). There has been increasing interest in the development of linkage maps for these species, with a view to marker-assisted selection to assist breeding programs and, recently, in the development of transferable markers to permit syntenic comparisons of maps of different rosaceous genera. In this investigation, a set of Malus cDNA sequences were downloaded from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory database. The sequences were aligned with homologous full-length Arabidopsis genomic DNA sequences to identify putative intron–exon junctions and conserved flank…

Diversity Assessment and DNA-Based Fingerprinting of Sicilian Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) Germplasm

The characterization of plant genetic resources is a precondition for genetic improvement and germplasm management. The increasing use of molecular markers for DNA-based genotype signature is crucial for variety identification and traceability in the food supply chain. We collected 75 Sicilian hazelnut accessions from private and public field collections, including widely grown varieties from the Nebrodi Mountains in north east Sicily (Italy). The germplasm was fingerprinted through nine standardized microsatellites (SSR) for hazelnut identification to evaluate the genetic diversity of the collected accessions, validating SSR discrimination power. We identified cases of homonymy and synonym…

Horticultural performance of 23 Sicilian olive genotypes in hedgerow systems: Vegetative growth, productive potential and oil quality

Abstract The super high density (SHD) model is a new olive growing system characterized by earlier and higher yields, fully mechanized harvesting and reduced orchard management costs. Until recently all commercial SHD orchards were planted primarily with three varieties: ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Koroneiki’. To increase variety diversity, broaden available olive oil chemical and organoleptic profiles, and olive oils for marketing, minor local varieties should be evaluated for adaptability to the SHD system. This study compares multiple Sicilian native genotypes to the three current cultivars ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Koroneiki’. The cumulative fruit and oil production, trunk-cross sec…

The origin of the self-compatible almond ‘Supernova’.

Effects of different irrigation regimes on a super-high-density olive grove cv. “Arbequina”: vegetative growth, productivity and polyphenol content of the oil

The effects of multiple irrigation regimes on the relationships among tree water status, vegetative growth and productivity within a super-high-density (SHD) “Arbequina” olive grove (1950 tree/ha) were studied for three seasons (2008–2010). Five different irrigation levels calculated as percentage of crop irrigation requirement using FAO procedures (Allen et al. in Crop evapotranspiration. Guidelines for computing crop water requirements. Irrigation and drainage paper 56. FAO, Rome, 1998) were imposed during the growing season. Periodically during the growing season, daytime stem water potential (Ψ STEM), inflorescences per branch, fruits per inflorescence and shoot absolute growth rate wer…

Transcriptome Analysis of Pistacia vera Inflorescence Buds in Bearing and Non-Bearing Shoots Reveals the Molecular Mechanism Causing Premature Flower Bud Abscission

The alteration of heavy (&ldquo

Molecular characterisation of Sicilian Prunus persica cultivars using microsatellites

In Sicily, a large indigenous population of cultivated peaches, nectarines, and platicarpa (flat peaches) shows a wide range of fruit quality and ripening periods. This diverse assortment of local cultivars is a resource, not yet exploited, for breeding programmes. The main purpose of this study was to fingerprint these indigenous accessions and to evaluate the molecular diversity between them. Forty indigenous and nine international accessions were analysed using 15 microsatellite, simple sequence repeat (SSR), markers. Some of the main morphological characteristics, such as flower type, petiole gland shape, flesh colour, and fruit ripening time, of these cultivars were also recorded. The …

Intra-cultivar Diversity in sicilian and calabrian olive (olea europaea L.) Cultivars Depicted by Morphological Traits and SSR Markers

In this study, SSR analysis was performed on a large number of putative clones of the main olive cultivars from two Italian regions, Sicily and Calabria, in order to study the genetic relatedness, and to detect any degree of genetic diversity, which can be used to unambiguously identify possible superior clones. These putative clones have been collected and observed in the last ten years, following an extensive investigation carried out in traditional olive growing areas, thanks to the reports of farmers, millers, technician, growers and nurseries. The set of microsatellite (SSR) markers used allowed the detection of the genetic diversity, resulting from somatic mutation, indicating the pre…

Storage Quality of low ethylene producing apples.

Genetic diversity of fig (Ficus caricaL.) genotypes grown in Southern Italy revealed by the use of SSR markers

The genetic variability among 181 fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions found in small farms located in Campania, Basilicata, Apulia, Calabria and Sicily was investigated analysing the polymorphism of 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The SSR analysis revealed a large genetic diversity among accessions. A total of 117 alleles were detected with a mean of 6.5 locus-1. The average expected (He) and observed heterozygosity (Ho) were 0.56 and 0.66, respectively. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.51, suggesting a significant molecular diversity among the fig accessions taken into consideration. The UPGMA cluster analysis discriminated 174 genotypes and allowed to find 8 grou…

Storage Quality of low ethylene apples.

Algerian Olive Germplasm and Its Relationships with the Central-Western Mediterranean Varieties Contributes to Clarify Cultivated Olive Diversification

Olive tree with its main final product, olive oil, is an important element of Mediterranean history, considered the emblematic fruit of a civilization. Despite its wide diffusion and economic and cultural importance, its evolutionary and phylogenetic history is still difficult to clarify. As part of the Mediterranean basin, Algeria was indicated as a secondary diversification center. However, genetic characterization studies from Maghreb area, are currently underrepresented. In this context, we characterized 119 endemic Algerian accessions by using 12 microsatellite markers with the main goal to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure. In order to provide new insights about …

Variabilità morfologica e molecolare di genotipi siciliani di noce comune (Juglans regia) selezionati in base alle caratteristiche carpologiche

INTRA-CULTIVAR DIVERSITY IN SOUTHERN ITALY OLIVE CULTIVARS DEPICTED BY MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS AND SSR MARKERS

In this study, SSR analysis was performed on a large number of putative clones of the main olive cultivars from two Italian regions, Sicily and Calabria, in order to study the genetic relatedness, and to detect any degree of genetic diversity, which can be used to unambiguously identify possible superior clones. These putative clones have been collected and observed in the last ten years, following an extensive investigation carried out in traditional olive growing areas, thanks to the reports of farmers, millers, technician, growers and nurseries. The set of microsatellite (SSR) markers used allowed the detection of the genetic diversity, resulting from somatic mutation, indicating the pre…

Following almond footprints in United Kingdom.

Identification of self(in)compatibility genotypes and microsatellite marker based fingerprinting of traditional italian sweet cherry accessions

Italy is one of the main European sweet cherry producers and it has a rich germplasm, including many minor local varieties that have not been well studied or used in breeding programmes. Sweet cherry is self-incompatible, with few exceptions; its incompatibility is controlled by a multi-allelic S locus, which is gametophytically expressed. The knowledge of S-alleles and cross-incompatibility groups of sweet cherry genotypes and cultivars is important for growers and breeders. In this work we analysed 48 traditional sweet cherry varieties and cultivars, mainly from Calabria and Emilia Romagna regions, together with eight Sicilian cultivars and the standard set of reference genotypes proposed…

Gaining Insight into Exclusive and Common Transcriptomic Features Linked to Drought and Salinity Responses across Fruit Tree Crops

The present study aimed at identifying and mapping key genes expressed in root tissues involved in drought and salinity tolerance/resistance conserved among different fruit tree species. Twenty-six RNA-Seq samples were analyzed from six published studies in five plant species (Olea europaea, Vitis riparia Michx, Prunus mahaleb, Prunus persica, Phoenix dactylifera). This meta-analysis used a bioinformatic pipeline identifying 750 genes that were commonly modulated in three salinity studies and 683 genes that were commonly regulated among three drought studies, implying their conserved role in resistance/tolerance/response to these environmental stresses. A comparison was done on the genes th…

Morphological characteristics, microsatellite fingerprinting and determination of incompatibility genotypes of Sicilian sweet cherry cultivars

Sicily has extensive germplasm of diploid sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) that has not been well studied. In this investigation, 39 cherry accessions, selected from collections and farms, were analysed using molecular markers and characterised for various morphological and other agronomic characters such as flesh colour, fruit size, quality and, in some cases, ripening periods. Thirteen Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) primer pairs, as well as two primer pairs for the incompatibility (S) locus, which amplified across the first intron of the S-RNase gene and across the intron of the SFB gene, were used in three multiplexed reactions to analyse the accessions. The number of alleles per SSR locus r…

Il germoplasma autoctono del pesco (P. persica L. Batsch) in Sicilia: aspetti fenologici, morfologici e molecolari

A genetic linkage map ofPhysocarpus, a member of the Spiraeoideae (Rosaceae), based on RAPD, AFLP, RGA, SSR and gene specific markers

Physocarpus opulifolius is a deciduous shrub native to North America belonging to the Spiraeoideae subfamily of the Rosaceae. The cultivars 'Luteus' and 'Diabolo' are grown in gardens for their ornamental foliage, golden and purple respectively. We developed a linkage map of P. opulifolius with a view to detecting markers for the leaf colour genes, which are under major gene control. A total of 162 molecular markers (128 RAPDs, 27 AFLPs, three RGA, three STS markers and one SSR) and the leaf colour genes Pur and Aur were scored in the Physocarpus progeny and used to create a linkage map covering 586.1 cM over nine linkage groups. There was an average of 18.2 markers per linkage group and a …

Transcriptomic Analysis of the Pistacia vera (L.) Fruits Enable the Identification of Genes and Hormone-Related Gene Linked to Inflorescence Bud Abscission

Pistacia vera (L.) is an alternate bearing species. The tree produces axillary inflorescence buds every year. Still, they abscise in “ON” overloaded shoots, causing a limited production in the following “OFF” year, causing a significant and unfavorable production fluctuation. In this work, we carried out de novo discovery and transcriptomic analysis in fruits of “ON” and “OFF” shoots of the cultivar Bianca. We also investigated whether the fruit signaling pathway and hormone biosynthesis directly or indirectly linked to the premature fall of the inflorescence buds causing alternate bearing. We identified 1536 differentially expressed genes (DE…

Simple Sequence Repeat Marker Development and Mapping Targeted to Previously Unmapped Regions of the Strawberry Genome Sequence

The genome sequence of the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) is an important resource providing a reference for comparative genomics studies and future sequenced rosaceous species and has great utility as a model for the development of markers for mapping in the cultivated strawberry Fragaria ×ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier. A set of 152 microsatellite simple sequence repeat (SSR) primer pairs was developed and mapped, along with 42 previously published but unmapped SSRs, permitting the precise assignment of 28.2 Mbp of previously unanchored genome sequence scaffolds (13% of the F. vesca genome sequence). The original ordering of F. vesca sequence scaffolds was performed without a physic…

Improvement in yield and fruit size and quality of the main Italian table olive cultivar 'Nocellara del Belice'

Olive (Olea europaea L.) shows alternate bearing, with unreliable cropping patterns and inconsistent fruit size and quality every year. In many countries, thinning with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) is used to minimise alternate bearing behavior in olives. However, in Italy, growers are reluctant to employ this practice and no detailed knowledge is available for specific cultivars. We evaluated the effects of spraying NAA on various dates on the productive and vegetative characteristics of the main Italian table olive cultivar'Nocellara del Belice'. Trunk cross-sectional area, fruit set, fruit drop, fruit size, pit size, yield per tree, crop density and flesh to pit ratio were analysed. The …

Indagine sulla variabilità molecolare del germoplasma del pesco autoctono della Sicilia, mediante l’uso di SSRs (Simple Sequence Repeats).

Genetic Improvement of Sweet Chestnut in Sicily (Castanea sativa Mill.) by the Selection of Superior Autochthonous Genotypes

In Sicily, the chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) grows in limited areas of the South eastern Mt. Etna volcano and of the Northern Mountains, namely Madonie and Nebrodi. In the Island, chestnut can be considered as a neglected species, because of the modest importance recognized to it for horticultural and forestry exploitation. Recently, the Sicilian regional government founded the 'Horticultural Forestry' project to promote the cultivation of chestnut as possible fruit tree for local city farmer markets, where typical products are usually sold. The project was developed in five steps, carried out during three years by the Dipartimento di Colture Arboree of Palermo University: identification…

The first high-density sequence characterized SNP-based linkage map of olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea) developed using genotyping by sequencing

A number of linkage maps have been previously developed in olive; however, these are mostly composed of markers that have not been characterized at the sequence level, supplemented with smaller numbers of microsatellite markers. In this investigation, we sought to develop a saturated linkage mapping resource for olive composed entirely of sequence characterized markers. We employed genotyping by sequencing to develop a map of a F2 population derived from the selfing of the cultivar Koroneiki. The linkage map contained a total of 23 linkage groups comprised of 1,597 tagged SNP markers in 636 mapping bins spanning a genetic distance of 1189.7 cM. An additional 6,658 segregating SNPs were asso…

Caratterizzazione molecolare del germoplasma siciliano di ciliegio dolce per la selezione di nuove varietà autofertili.

A new self-compatibility haplotype in the sweet cherry 'Kronio', S5' attributable to a pollen-part mutation in the SFB gene

‘Kronio’ is a Sicilian cultivar of sweet cherry (Prunus avium), nominally with the incompatibility genotype S 5 S 6 , that is reported to be naturally self-compatible. In this work the cause of its self-compatibility was investigated. Test selfing confirmed self-compatibility and provided embryos for analysis; PCR with consensus primers designed to amplify S-RNase and SFB alleles showed that the embryos were of two types, S 5 S 5 and S 5 S 6 , indicating that S 6 pollen failed, but S 5 succeeded, perhaps because of a mutation in the pollen or stylar component. Stylar RNase analysis indicated active S-RNases for both S 5 and S 6 . The S-RNase alleles were cloned and sequenced; and sequences …

Genetic variability of Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) throughout its native range highlights two species movement pathways from its area of origin

AbstractThe European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Europe, providing ecosystem services that are hard to obtain from other species. However, its populations are declining in some areas due to anthropogenic effects including climate change. Knowledge of genetic variability among natural populations is needed to establish conservation plans, to prevent genetic contamination of native stands by cultivated germplasm and to exploit it as an ornamental species. However, information on the genetic similarities among C. humilis populations is scarce. The aims of this work were to study genetic structure in C. humilis using a set of specifically desi…

Morphological and molecular variability within the fig cultivar 'Dottato' in the Italian protected designation origin area "fichi di Cosenza"

The morphological and molecular diversity among fig accessions of 'Dottato', found in the PDO "Fichi di Cosenza" area was studied by evaluating 24 morphological traits and by genotyping with 18 microsatellite markers. The microsatellite allelic profiles among the putative clones of 'Dottato' indicated a moderate genetic variability, discriminating unambiguously most of the accessions. Only two groups of identity were found. The average expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.43 and 0.62, respectively. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.4, varying from 0.08 (LMFC26) to 0.067 (FCUP 38-6). The morphological clustering allowed the distinction of all genotypes. Some genotyp…

Towards a Joint International Database: Alignment of SSR Marker Data for European Collections of Cherry Germplasm

International audience; The objective of our study was the alignment of microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker data across germplasm collections of cherry within Europe. Through the European Cooperative program for Plant Genetic Resources ECPGR, a number of European germplasm collections had previously been analysed using standard sets of SSR loci. However, until now these datasets remained unaligned. We used a combination of standard reference genotypes and ad-hoc selections to compile a central dataset representing as many alleles as possible from national datasets produced in France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland. Through the comparison of alleles c…

In-Field and Early Detection of Xylella fastidiosa Infections in Olive Using a Portable Instrument

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp) is a gram-negative pathogenic bacteria responsible for serious diseases (Purcell, 2013) that inflicts considerable economic loss (Li et al., 2007; Luvisi et al., 2017). The pathogen has been linked to olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). This devastating olive disease was first observed in Salento (Apulia, southeastern Italy) in 2009. Infected trees respond to Xfp infection with scattered desiccation of twigs and small branches in the upper crown, which extend to the rest of the canopy, showing the characteristic blight effect. The disease causes tree death within a few years from the onset of symptoms (Martelli, 2016). The primary agronomic procedure f…

Variabilità dei tratti morfologici e bio-molecolari nella cultivar di olivo calabrese Ottobratica

Fingerprinting of Sicilian Cherry Germplasm with Simple Sequence Repeats and Incompatibility (S) Locus Primers

Identifying conserved genes involved in crop tolerance to cold stress

Low temperature is a limiting factor for crop productivity in tropical and subtropical climates. Cold stress response in plants involves perceiving and relaying the signal through a transcriptional cascade composed of different transduction components, resulting in altered gene activity. We performed a meta-analysis of four previously published datasets of cold-tolerant and cold-sensitive crops to better understand the gene regulatory networks and identify key genes involved in cold stress tolerance conserved across phylogenetically distant species. Re-analysing the raw data with the same bioinformatics pipeline, we identified common cold tolerance-related genes. We found 236 and 242 common…

Selezione a tutto campo per le castagne dell'Etna

Data from: Genetic relationships, structure and parentage simulation among the olive tree (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea) cultivated in Southern Italy revealed by SSR markers

In this work, we assess both the morphological and genetic diversity of 68 important olive cultivars from three Southern Italian regions: Calabria, Campania and Sicily. Twenty-five phenotypic traits were evaluated and 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were analysed. All SSR primers were polymorphic and reliable. The total number of alleles per locus varied from 5 to 19 with an average number of 13.1 and a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.81. These results suggested high genetic diversity within these three olive germplasm collections. Morphological traits also showed significant variability amongst cultivars. Two cases of identity were found and ten statistically signif…