Cherry Breeding: Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) and Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.)

none3noThis chapter describes the cherry’s origins, botanical classification (taxonomy) and domestication of the only two species cultivated for food and industrial processing: sweet and sour cherry. Cherry breeding programs worldwide have focused on trees, fruit quality traits and resistance to biotic and abiotic factors as well as on specific local characteristics. A detailed discussion of breeding techniques (crossbreeding, early selection, seedling screening and field assessment, embryo culture and mutagenesis) follows. A section is dedicated to sour cherry breeding, whose problems differ from those of the sweet cherry. We underline the importance of the knowledge and conservation of genetic resources for their use in genomic approaches. Then, discuss breeding strategies and the new traits that have been introduced in new genotypes through genomics. Germplasm biodiversity is analyzed in its phylogenetic context. Then, the molecular breeding approaches are extensively described with particular attention for gene mapping and the development of marker linked to monogenic and polygenic traits. A section is dedicated to the gametophytic incompatibility of the sweet cherry, with an updated summary of the research conducted to identify the 57 incompatibility groups (the cultivars for each of these are reported). Finally, we take into account other aspects related to breeding in respect to how functional genes affect some fruit characteristics, the strategies used after the cherry genome was sequenced and the potential of genetic engineering. The Appendix provides pomological profiles of 44 of the most important innovative cultivars, according to the descriptive standard of the Brooks and Olmo official lists with each accompanied by original photos to aid in their identification.noneDondini, Luca; Lugli, Stefano; Sansavini, SilvieroDondini, Luca; Lugli, Stefano; Sansavini, Silvier

Molecular interrogation of hypothalamic organization reveals distinct dopamine neuronal subtypes.

The hypothalamus contains the highest diversity of neurons in the brain. Many of these neurons can co-release neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in a use-dependent manner. Investigators have hitherto relied on candidate protein-based tools to correlate behavioral, endocrine and gender traits with hypothalamic neuron identity. Here we map neuronal identities in the hypothalamus by single-cell RNA sequencing. We distinguished 62 neuronal subtypes producing glutamatergic, dopaminergic or GABAergic markers for synaptic neurotransmission and harboring the ability to engage in task-dependent neurotransmitter switching. We identified dopamine neurons that uniquely coexpress the Onecut3 and Nmur2 genes, and placed these in the periventricular nucleus with many synaptic afferents arising from neuromedin S(+) neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. These neuroendocrine dopamine cells may contribute to the dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin secretion diurnally, as their neuromedin S(+) inputs originate from neurons expressing Per2 and Per3 and their tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation is regulated in a circadian fashion. Overall, our catalog of neuronal subclasses provides new understanding of hypothalamic organization and function