Genetic Diversity and Molecular Characterization in Prunus Species

The genus Prunus encompasses economically and ecologically vital fruit species including peaches, plums, apricots, cherries and almonds. Their complex domestication history, interspecific hybridisation events and adaptation to diverse agro-climatic zones have shaped rich genetic reservoirs. Molecular characterisation using microsatellite markers, single-nucleotide polymorphisms and chloroplast DNA haplotyping has revealed patterns of allelic richness, population differentiation and linkage disequilibrium across wild and cultivated gene pools. These insights underpin conservation strategies, core-collection assembly and the identification of trait-associated loci for breeding. Comparative analyses demonstrate that genetic diversity is often greatest in primary centres of origin such as Central Asia, declining along diffusion routes established by early agricultural societies. At the same time, modern breeding practices, including vegetative propagation and recurrent selection, have imposed bottlenecks in cultivated pools, emphasising the need to integrate wild or landrace germplasm for resilience against biotic and abiotic challenges. Genomic resources continue to expand with high-throughput sequencing, enabling genome-wide association studies and the dissection of domestication-related traits such as fruit size, flavour and stress tolerance.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A comprehensive survey of wild Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica) conducted across ten natural populations employed fourteen nuclear microsatellite markers, generating nearly two hundred alleles and revealing notably high expected heterozygosity compared with observed values. Molecular variance partitioning indicated that most genetic variation resides within populations, with clear genetic differentiation aligned with geographic distance and elevation. Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analyses delineated two major genetic subgroups, offering guidance for in situ and ex situ conservation. These findings enhance understanding of population connectivity and inform management of this cold-tolerant species of ecological and economic significance.

Genetic Diversity and Molecular Characterization in Prunus Species publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic diversity and molecular characterization in prunus species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Microsatellite marker (SSR): A short tandem repeat in DNA used to measure allelic variation and genetic relationships.

Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A single base-pair variation in the genome serving as a high-resolution marker for diversity and association studies.

Heterozygosity: The probability that two alleles at a locus differ in an individual or population, indicating genetic variability.

Population structure: The organisation of genetic variation into subgroups influenced by factors such as geography, gene flow and breeding history.

Linkage disequilibrium: The non-random association of alleles at different loci, reflecting recombination history and selection.

Haplotype: A combination of alleles or sequence variants at multiple loci transmitted together on a single chromosome.

References

1. Genetic diversity and structure of Slovenian native germplasm of plum species (P. domestica L., P. cerasifera Ehrh. and P. spinosa L.). Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
2. Genetic diversity and conservation of Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) based on microsatellite markers. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Genetic diversity, population structure, and relationships of apricot (Prunus) based on restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. Horticulture Research (2020).