AmicroRNAallele that emerged prior to apple domestication may underlie fruit size evolution

• DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13021
• Publication Date: 2015-09-11T05:10:54Z
• Authors: Jia‐Long Yao; Juan Xu; Amandine Cornille; Sumathi Tomes; Sakuntala Karunai...; Zhiwei Luo; Heather Bassett; Claire Whitworth; Jonathan Rees‐George; Chandra Ranatunga; Alodie Snirc; Ross Crowhurst; Nihal de Silva; Ben Warren; Cecilia Deng; Satish Kumar; David Chagné; Vincent G. M. Bus; Richard K. Volz; Erik H. A. Rikkerink; Susan E. Gardiner; Tatiana Giraud; Robin MacDiarmid; Andrew P. Gleave
• Keywords: Trait

The molecular genetic mechanisms underlying fruit size remain poorly understood in perennial crops, despite being an important agronomic trait. Here we show that the expression level of a microRNA gene (miRNA172) influences apple. A transposon insertional allele miRNA172 showing reduced associates with large apple breeding population, whereas over-expression transgenic significantly reduces size. was found to be co-located major quantitative trait locus, fixed cultivated apples and their wild progenitor species relatively fruit. This finding supports view selection for initiated prior domestication, likely by mammals, before subsequently strengthened humans, also helps explain why signatures bottlenecks selective sweeps are normally weaker crops than annual crops.