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Key message: This study provides novel insights into the evolution, diversification, and functions of melatonin biosynthesis genes in Prunus species, highlighting their potential role in regulating bud dormancy and abiotic stresses. The biosynthesis of melatonin (MEL) in plants is primarily governed by enzymatic reactions involving key enzymes such as serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT), tryptamine 5-hydroxylase (T5H), N-acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT) and tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC). In this study, we analyzed Melatonin genes in four Prunus species such as Prunus avium (Pavi), Prunus pusilliflora (Ppus), Prunus serulata (Pser), and Prunus persica (Pper) based on comparative genomics approach. Among the four Prunus species, a total of 29 TDCs, 998 T5Hs, 16 SNATs, and 115 ASMTs within the genome of four Prunus genomes. A thorough investigation of melatonin-related genes was carried out using systematic biological methods and comparative genomics. Through phylogenetic analysis, orthologous clusters, Go enrichment, syntenic relationship, and gene duplication analysis, we discovered both similarities and variations in Melatonin genes among these Prunus species. Additionally, our study revealed the existence of unique subgroup members in the Melatonin genes of these species, which were distinct from those found in Arabidopsis genes. Furthermore, the transcriptomic expression analysis revealed the potential significance of melatonin genes in bud dormancy regulation and abiotic stresses. Our extensive results offer valuable perspectives on the evolutionary patterns, intricate expansion, and functions of PavMEL genes. Given their promising attributes, PavTDCs, PavT5H, PavNAT, and three PavASMT genes warrant in-depth exploration as prime candidates for manipulating dormancy in sweet cherry. This was done to lay the foundation for future explorations into the structural and functional aspects of these factors in Prunus species. This study offers significant insights into the functions of ASMT, SNAT, T5H, and TDC genes and sheds light on their roles in Prunus avium. Moreover, it established a robust foundation for further exploration functional characterization of melatonin genes in fruit species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two intergenic spacers cpDNA barcoding regions were used to assess the genetic diversity and phylogenetic structure of a collection of 25 Prunus accessions. The trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF intergenic spacers were able to distinguish and identify only four Prunus species. The average aligned length was 316–352 bp and 701–756 bp for trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF, respectively. The overall evolutionary divergence was higher in trnH-psbA than trnL-trnF. The transition/transversion bias (R) recorded as 0.59 in trnL-trnF and 0.89 in trnH-psbA. The number of invariable sites, nucleotide diversity (Pi), and the average number of nucleotide differences (k) was higher in the trnH-psbA region. The trnL-trnF records was above the other region in the number of variable sites, number of singleton variable sites, and the parsimony informative sites. Phylogenetic relationships among the 25 accessions of Prunus species were investigated. Most of the different Prunus species clustered in a homogenized distribution in both regions, except for the plum (P. domestica) accession (African Rose) was assigned with the peach (P. persica) accessions. The two intergenic cpDNA trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF were able to distinguish and identify the four Prunus species accessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, genome-wide identification, phylogenetic relationships, duplication time and selective pressure of the NBS-LRR genes, an important group of plant disease-resistance genes (R genes), were performed to uncover their genetic evolutionary patterns in the six Prunus species. A total of 1946 NBS-LRR genes were identified; specifically, 589, 361, 284, 281, 318, and 113 were identified in Prunus yedoensis, P. domestica, P. avium, P. dulcis, P. persica and P. yedoensis var. nudiflora, respectively. Two NBS-LRR gene subclasses, TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL) and non-TIR-NBS-LRR (non-TNL), were also discovered. In total, 435 TNL and 1511 non-TNL genes were identified and could be classified into 30/55/75 and 103/158/191 multi-gene families, respectively, according to three different criteria. Higher Ks and Ka/Ks values were detected in TNL gene families than in non-TNL gene families. These results indicated that the TNL genes had more members involved in relatively ancient duplications and were affected by stronger selection pressure than the non-TNL genes. In general, the NBS-LRR genes were shaped by species-specific duplications, and lineage-specific duplications occurred at recent and relatively ancient periods among the six Prunus species. Therefore, different duplicated copies of NBS-LRRs can resist specific pathogens and will provide an R-gene library for resistance breeding in Prunus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shot hole disease of stone fruits caused by Thyrostroma carpophilum has become a major threat to stone fruit industry of Jammu and Kashmir, India because of the failure in its management with fungicides. To understand the diversity in shot hole pathogen, a combination of conventional (morphological, cultural and pathological) and molecular (ISSR and ITS markers) approaches were employed to discern variability in 25 isolates of T. carpophilum isolated from peach, plum, apricot, almond and cherry leaves collected from Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The studies revealed a high level of variability among the pathogen. Based on the morpho-cultural and pathological studies, the isolates were grouped into different categories based on colony growth, texture, margin and colour besides change in media colour, incubation period, leaf area infected, etc. Using ISSR markers, a high level of polymorphism in different isolates of T. carpophilum was observed which indicated that these markers are suitable for studying the genetic diversity in this pathogen. Based on dendrogram, the isolates were grouped irrespective of their geographical origin or host species. Phylogenetic analysis of the 25 sequences based on ITS region showed maximum similarity with T. carpophilum (Syn. Wilsonomyces carpophilus) sequences retrieved from NCBI and grouped them in a single clade which proved it as a powerful tool for authentic identification. The pathogen was highly variable based on morpho-cultural, pathological and molecular (ISSR) characterisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotechnology has contributed to improvement and conservation of Prunus species. Biotechnological approaches involving in vitro tissue culture, genetic transformation, molecular marker development and cryopreservation were applied to various Prunus species. This report provides an overview of biotechnological research on Prunus species, with an emphasis on ornamental Prunus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of the investigations of natural antioxidants, we examined the antioxidant activities of the methanol (MeOH) extracts of some selected Prunus species, including P. buergeriana, P. davidiana, P. padus, P. pendula for. ascendens, P. sargentii, P. serrulata var. spontanea and P. yedoensis by three methods as represented by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhy-drazyl (DPPH) radical, total ROS (reactive oxygen species) and the peroxynitrite (ONOO-) scavenging activity tests. We also evaluated the activities of the organic solvent-soluble fractions, including the dichloromethane (CH2CI2), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol ( n-BuOH) fractions and the water (H2O) layer of P. serrulata var. spontanea leaves. By means of bioassay-directed fractionation, we isolated eleven known flavonoids ( 1–11) from the EtOAc soluble fraction of the MeOH extract of the Prunus serrulata var. spontanea leaves, exhibiting strong antioxidant activity and characterized as prunetin ( 1), genistein ( 2), quercetin ( 3), prunetin 4′-O-β-glucopyranoside ( 4), kaempferol 3-O-β-arabinofuranoside ( 5), prunetin 5-O-β-glucopyranoside ( 6), kaempferol 3-O-β-xylopyranoside ( 7), genistin ( 8), kaempferol 3-O-β-glucopyranoside ( 9), quercetin 3-O-β-glucopyranoside ( 10) and kaempferol 3-O-β-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-glucopyr-anoside ( 11). Compounds 3 and 10 showed good activities in all tested model systems. Compounds 2 and 8 showed scavenging activities in the DPPH and ONOCr tests, while compounds 5, 7, 9 and 11 were active in the ONOO- and ROS tests. On the other hand, compounds 1, 4 and 6 did not show any activities in the tested model systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]