Genome Sequence Information in Fruit Crops: Current Status

Abstract

Recent technological advancement in next-generation sequencing (NGS), plants can be prioritized for sequencing in relation to their value to humans. NGS provides the possibility of cost-efficient whole genome sequencing. Notable developments pertaining to genome sequencing of fruit crops are highlighted. These sequence information has been used extensively for analyzing and understanding structural and functional genomics for various biotic and abiotic stresses. Short Communication Fruit Science (Pomology) is one of the important sectors of agriculture. With the growing population, demand for fruits is gradually increasing. The most important challenge in many of the fruit species is the unavailability of well-defined molecular genetic linkage maps. Many times these species are difficult to study at genetic and molecular levels because of their perennial nature and due to this, development of mapping population and map based studies are not easy. Therefore, genome sequence is a prerequisite resource for understanding completely the roles of genes in development, driving genomics-based approaches to systems biology and efficiently exploiting the natural and induced genetic diversity of a species. Initially, only plants with relatively small genomes were selected for sequencing. A decade ago, technological limitations forced the plant biology community to select a few species as models. As a consequence of continued improvements in sequencing technologies, methods and bioinformatics capabilities, sequencing goals need no longer be limited. With the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, this paradigm can change and plants can be prioritized for sequencing in relation to their value to humans. NGS provides the possibility of cost-efficient transcriptome profiling. First plant genome sequence, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), in 2000 spawned an expansion in genomics-based research and the exploitation of annotated genes to explore orthologous genes in other plants. It also paved the way for sequencing several other model plant genomes and a few crop genomes. Sequencing of major grain crops like rice, wheat, barley and maize were more focused. Being complex, the genomes of fruit crops would be difficult to sequence as these species de novo using NGS technologies.