Genetic Diversity in Diospyros Germplasm
Summary
The genus Diospyros, which includes economically important species such as the cultivated persimmon (Diospyros kaki) and its wild relatives, exhibits considerable genetic variation across its global germplasm. This diversity underpins adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses, informs domestication history and facilitates the improvement of fruit quality, yield and climate resilience. Research has combined morphological trait analysis with molecular tools—ranging from simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) to start codon targeted (SCoT) markers and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—to characterise population structure, gene flow and levels of heterozygosity. Findings consistently reveal moderate to high intra- and interspecific diversity, shaped by historical hybridisation events, polyploidy in D. kaki and regional introductions. Such insights guide conservation strategies, support the selection of breeding parents and accelerate marker-assisted selection, thus maintaining the genetic health of ex situ and in situ collections in the face of environmental change.
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Genetic Diversity in Diospyros Germplasm publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic diversity in diospyros germplasm across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Germplasm: A repository of living genetic resources, such as seeds or tissues, used for breeding and conservation.
Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP): A variation at a single base position in the DNA sequence among individuals of a species.
Simple sequence repeat (SSR): Also known as microsatellites, these are tandemly repeated short DNA motifs useful as highly polymorphic molecular markers.
Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS): A high-throughput method that combines restriction enzyme digestion and next-generation sequencing to discover and genotype SNPs.
Fixation index (Fst): A metric reflecting the proportion of genetic variance that can be attributed to population subdivision, indicating levels of differentiation.
References
- Population Genetic Analysis in Persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Based on Genome-Wide Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms. Plants (2023).
- Investigation and Analysis of Genetic Diversity of Diospyros Germplasms Using SCoT Molecular Markers in Guangxi. PLOS ONE (2015).
- Genetic Diversity in Diospyros Germplasm in the Western Caucasus Based on SSR and ISSR Polymorphism. Biology (2021).
- Population genetics analysis of Diospyros mun A.Chev. ex Lecomte (Ebenaceae) based on EST-SSR markers derived from a novel transcriptome. Biodiversity Data Journal (2024).
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