Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346540
Title: Current achievements and future directions in genetic engineering of european plum (Prunus domestica L.)

Author
item PETRI, CESAR - Technical University Of Cartagena
item ALBURUQUERQUE, NURIA - Centro De Edafología Y Biología Aplicada Del Segura-Csic
item FAIZE, MOHAMED - University Chouaib Doukkali
item Scorza, Ralph
item Dardick, Christopher

Submitted to: Transgenic Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2018
Publication Date: 4/12/2018
Citation: Petri, C., Alburuquerque, N., Faize, M., Scorza, R., Dardick, C.D. 2018. Current achievements and future directions in genetic engineering of european plum (Prunus domestica L.). Transgenic Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-018-0072-3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-018-0072-3

Interpretive Summary: There are very few tree species that are readily amenable to functional studies using biotechnology. European plum (Prunus domestica) has recently emerged as a model tree fruit for in depth functional genetic and genomic studies. This review highlights the tremendous advances that have been made in European plum and future prospects for further developing this species as a model system for biotechnology and crop improvement.

Technical Abstract: In most woody fruit species, transformation and regeneration are difficult. However, European plum (Prunus domestica) has been shown to be amenable to genetic improvement technologies from classical hybridization, to genetic engineering, to rapid cycle crop breeding (‘FasTrack’ breeding). Since the first report on European plum transformation with marker genes in the early 90s, numerous manuscripts have been published reporting the generation of new clones with agronomically interesting traits, such as pests, diseases and/or abiotic stress resistance, shorter juvenile period, dwarfing, continuous flowering, etc. This review focuses on the main advances in genetic transformation of European plum achieved to date, and the lines of work that are converting genetic engineering into a contemporary breeding tool for this species.