Multiomic studies to improve fruit quality of berry fruits

In this study we are going to use different omic-techniques to analyze fruits of three species of berries such as strawberry, raspberry and black currant. Berry fruit are well appreciated for their delicate flavor and nutraceutical properties, with consumer demand increasing over the last years. Furthermore, climate change and market globalization have made necessary to improve the production while maintaining fruit quality traits. Goodberry project is developping analytical platforms, covering from transcriptomic to metabolites and volatile compounds analysis, to find new factors controlling plant adaptation, fruit production and quality. In this study we implement the metabolomic analysis of strawberry, raspberry and black currant fruits from the 2017 harvest, as well as 2018 harvest during this year. To analyze and compare the data we use multiomic tools and bioinformatics to extract properly conclusion The analyses take different berry cultivars, adapted to diverse environments, were grown in 2017 and 2018 in different latitudes (Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Poland and Scotland). The data comes from a combination of gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) coupled with GC-MS was used to semi-quantify fruit primary metabolome and volatilome. Around 50 key primary metabolites, including sugars and acids, which are fundamental factors influencing fruit taste and 75 volatiles, responsible of the aroma, were identified across the different genotypes and climates. Multivariate statistical approaches allow us to point out the genetic and environmental factors underlying complex metabolic traits involved in fruit quality. Preliminary analysis showed that both climate and genetic factors influence primary metabolite and volatile content, even if the environment seems to have a stronger impact on the first one.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Application of multiomic technologies to study the environmental impact on berry fruit quality

Berries, such as strawberry, raspberry and black currant, are well appreciated for their delicate flavor and nutraceutical properties, with consumer demand increasing over the last years. However, climate change and market globalization have made necessary to improve the production while maintaining fruit quality traits. Among the EU GoodBerry project’s objetive are develop state-of-the-art analytical platforms, covering from transcriptomic to metabolites and volatile compounds analysis, to find new factors controlling plant adaptation, fruit production and quality and use the data to face climate changes. Here we present the metabolomic analysis of strawberry, raspberry and black currant fruits from the 2017 harvest. Different berry cultivars, adapted to diverse environments, were grown in 2017 and 2018 in different latitudes (Germany, France, Norway, Italy and Poland) combination of spectrometry techniques was used to semi-quantify fruit primary metabolome and volatilome. Around 50 key primary metabolites, including sugars and acids, which are fundamental factors influencing fruit taste and 75 volatiles, responsible of the aroma, were identified across the different genotypes and climates. Multivariate statistical approaches allow us to point out the genetic and environmental factors underlying complex metabolic traits involved in fruit quality.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A specific Gibberellin 20-oxidase dictates the flowering-runnering decision in diploid strawberry

Asexual and sexual reproduction occur jointly in many angiosperms. Stolons (elongated stems) are used for asexual reproduction in the crop species potato (Solanum tuberosum) and strawberry (Fragaria spp), where they produce tubers and clonal plants, respectively. In strawberry, stolon production is essential for vegetative propagation at the expense of fruit yield, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show that the stolon deficiency trait of the runnerless (r) natural mutant in woodland diploid strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is due to a deletion in the active site of a gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox) gene, which is expressed primarily in the axillary meristem dome and primordia and in developing stolons. This mutation, which is found in all r mutants, goes back more than three centuries. When FveGA20ox4 is mutated, axillary meristems remain dormant or produce secondary shoots terminated by inflorescences, thus increasing the number of inflorescences in the plant. The application of bioactive gibberellin (GA) restored the runnering phenotype in the r mutant, indicating that GA biosynthesis in the axillary meristem is essential for inducing stolon differentiation. The possibility of regulating the runnering-flowering decision in strawberry via FveGA20ox4 provides a path for improving productivity in strawberry by controlling the trade-off between sexual reproduction and vegetative propagation

Genomics tools available for unravelling mechanisms underlying agronomical traits in strawberry with more to come

In the last few years, high-throughput genomics promised to bridge the gap between plant physiology and plant sciences. In addition, high-throughput genotyping technologies facilitate marker-based selection for better performing genotypes. In strawberry, Fragaria vesca was the first reference sequence obtained in the Rosoideae sub-family. This genome has a high level of synteny with genomes of other species of diploid and polyploid Fragaria, but it also provides a reference for species like Rubus and Rosa for functional genomics. Many tools for genetic, genomic and functional analyses were introduced over the last 10 years and these tools are still evolving. For genotyping, many studies have used simple sequence repeats (SSRs) but whole genome sequencing is now a mature technology and facilitates the development of genotyping chips and other genetic approaches such as genome wide association studies (GWAS). Furthermore, microarray-based technologies have been eclipsed by RNA-seq, the high-throughput sequencing of RNA. These new approaches have led to advances in our understanding of the genetically complex octoploid species, and have revolutionized functional genomics. For all genetic and genomic studies, novel material such as complex crosses such as NILs and EMS have appeared in addition to the classical segregating population. With all these tools, strawberry now emerges as a plant model, not only for studying fruit quality but also for deciphering the mechanisms controlling various aspects of plant biology. Selective examples will be described to illustrate the latest research on strawberry and what is coming from other model species.Peer reviewe

Characterization of the balance between asexual and sexual reproduction in diploid strawberry

Characterization of the balance between asexual and sexual reproduction in diploid strawberry. Plant Biology Scandinavia 2015, The 26th SPPS Congres

Characterization of the balance between asexual and sexual reproduction in diploid strawberry

Characterization of the balance between asexual and sexual reproduction in diploid strawberry. Plant Biology Scandinavia 2015, The 26th SPPS Congres