Genetic Improvement in Coconut

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 January 2025 | Viewed by 3377

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: molecular breeding; identification and validation of elite allele; gene function validation via genetic level and molecular level; gene network

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: coconut molecular breeding; coconut genomics; GWAS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
Interests: coconut genomics and breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.), a typic tropical tree, belongs to the Arecaceae family and grows in 93 countries across more than 11 million hectares. This tree holds significant value for its versatile fruit: coconut water is a refreshing beverage, which is nutritious and beneficial for health; and coconut meat is rich in oil and processed into numerous economic products. To promote the breeding process of coconut, it is critical to obtaining genetic information for the usage of molecular-assisted breeding and genomic editing technology in coconut. Analyzing the genetic basis of coconut agronomic trait variation, identifying the candidate genes responsible, screening and validating elite alleles, and developing molecular markers are vital for genetic improvement in coconut. This Special Issue of Plants will focus on dissection the genetic basis for important agronomic traits, identification of natural mutation associated with trait variations and development of molecular markers, usage of multiple omics to screen and validate the genes associated with target traits.

Prof. Dr. Wei Xia
Dr. Yong Xiao
Dr. Siwaret Arikit
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • coconut palm
  • agronomic traits
  • genetic analysis
  • elite allele
  • natural variation
  • candidate gene
  • molecular marker
  • gene function

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3317 KiB  
Article
Induction and Transcriptome Analysis of Callus Tissue from Endosperm of Makapuno Coconut
by Jing Huang, Zijia Liu, Qinghui Guo, Jixin Zou, Yusheng Zheng and Dongdong Li
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3242; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223242 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 449
Abstract
The makapuno coconut endosperm is distinguished by its soft and irregular texture, in contrast to the solid endosperm of regular coconuts. To establish a scientific foundation for studying makapuno coconuts, callus was induced from makapuno endosperm using a combination of plant growth regulators. [...] Read more.
The makapuno coconut endosperm is distinguished by its soft and irregular texture, in contrast to the solid endosperm of regular coconuts. To establish a scientific foundation for studying makapuno coconuts, callus was induced from makapuno endosperm using a combination of plant growth regulators. The induction was successful, and the resulting callus was subsequently subcultured for further study. Transcriptome sequencing of the makapuno callus identified 429 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 273 upregulated and 156 downregulated, compared to callus derived from regular coconut endosperm. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in key metabolic pathways, including fructose and mannose metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, galactose metabolism, and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. Furthermore, lipid content analysis of the makapuno callus revealed a significantly higher total lipid level compared to regular callus, with notable differences in the levels of specific fatty acids, such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. This study establishes a novel platform for molecular biological research on makapuno coconuts and provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of makapuno callus tissue. The findings also lay the groundwork for future research aimed at elucidating the unique properties of makapuno endosperm and exploring its potential applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Improvement in Coconut)
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15 pages, 7409 KiB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into the Effect of Epicuticular Wax Accumulation on Salt Stress in Coconuts
by Xiwei Sun, Ghulam Abid Kaleri, Zhihua Mu, Yalan Feng, Zhuang Yang, Yazhu Zhong, Yajing Dou, Hang Xu, Junjie Zhou, Jie Luo and Yong Xiao
Plants 2024, 13(1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010141 - 4 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2000
Abstract
The coconut is an important tropical economical crop and exhibits high tolerance to various types of salinity stress. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying its salt tolerance. In this study, RNA-Seq was applied to examine the different genes expressed in [...] Read more.
The coconut is an important tropical economical crop and exhibits high tolerance to various types of salinity stress. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying its salt tolerance. In this study, RNA-Seq was applied to examine the different genes expressed in four coconut varieties when exposed to a salt environment, resulting in the generation of data for 48 transcriptomes. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that some genes involved in cutin and wax biosynthesis were significantly upregulated in salt treatment compared to the control, including CYP86A4, HTH, CER1, CER2, CER3, DCR, GPAT4, LTP3, LTP4, and LTP5. In particular, the expression of CER2 was induced more than sixfold, with an RPKM value of up to 205 ten days after salt treatment in Hainan Tall coconut, demonstrating superior capacity in salt tolerance compared to dwarf coconut varieties. However, for yellow dwarf and red dwarf coconut varieties, the expression level of the CER2 gene was low at four different time points after exposure to salt treatment, suggesting that this gene may contribute to the divergence in salt tolerance between tall and dwarf coconut varieties. Cytological evidence showed a higher abundance of cuticle accumulation in tall coconut and severe damage to cuticular wax in dwarf coconut. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Improvement in Coconut)
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