Genetic Diversity and Molecular Characterization in Mulberry Species
Summary
Mulberry (Morus spp.) is a genus of woody plants of prime economic and ecological value, cultivated for sericulture, fruit production, traditional medicines and agroforestry. The genus exhibits complex patterns of polyploidy and interspecific hybridisation, which have historically confounded taxonomic classification. Traditional morphological descriptors are increasingly complemented by molecular approaches, including simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and retrotransposon-based markers, to resolve allelic variation and population structure. Cytogenetic methods such as genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) elucidate chromosome constitution across different ploidy levels, while high-throughput sequencing of nuclear and plastid genomes refines phylogenies and reveals gene families controlling traits such as lignin biosynthesis, stress tolerance and fruit quality. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogeny has led to a consensus on eight distinct Morus species, and genome-wide association studies are beginning to pinpoint loci for disease resistance and yield improvement. Integration of these data underpins marker-assisted selection and the conservation of wild germplasm, fostering the development of improved cultivars adapted to diverse environments.
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Genetic Diversity and Molecular Characterization in Mulberry Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic diversity and molecular characterization in mulberry species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Polyploidy: The condition of possessing more than two complete sets of chromosomes in the nucleus.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR): Tandem repeats of short DNA motifs (1–6 base pairs) used as co-dominant genetic markers.
Inter-primer binding site (iPBS) marker: A retrotransposon-based PCR marker targeting primer binding sites within transposable elements.
Genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH): A cytogenetic technique in which whole genomic DNA probes reveal chromosome composition and homology.
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A single base-pair variation in the DNA sequence among individuals of a species.
Heterozygosity: The proportion of loci in an individual or population that carry two different alleles.
References
- Chromosome constitution and genetic relationships of Morus spp. revealed by genomic in situ hybridization. BMC Plant Biology (2023).
- Assessment of Molecular Diversity and Population Structure of Pakistani Mulberry Accessions Using Retrotransposon-Based DNA Markers. Agriculture (2024).
- Molecular characterization of mulberry genotypes and species in Turkey. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca (2020).
- Definition of Eight Mulberry Species in the Genus Morus by Internal Transcribed Spacer-Based Phylogeny. PLOS ONE (2015).
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