Biology subjects

Brukental, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Brukental, H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Stem photosynthesis from wild Prunus arabica enhances growth, advances bloom and increases yield in cultivated almond

Rising winter temperatures threaten deciduous fruit tree productivity by depleting carbohydrate reserves during dormancy. This study investigated Stem Photosynthetic Capacity (SPC), a rare adaptive trait from wild Prunus arabica, as a mechanism to enhance almond carbon economy. Using extreme segregating groups from the F1 population (P. dulcis X P. arabica), we evaluated physiological performance through high-resolution lysimetric and multi-year orchard monitoring. High-SPC [SPC(+)] genotypes maintained significantly greater stem CO2 assimilation and transpiration during leafless periods compared to low-SPC [SPC(-)] progenies. Over five successive seasons, SPC(+) trees exhibited a 33.3% increase in trunk secondary growth and reached 10% bloom approximately 8 days earlier. Most importantly, the SPC(+) group achieved a 4.6-fold increase in mean kernel yield when compared to SPC(-) group. These findings demonstrate that SPC provides a flexible, supplementary winter carbon source that directly supports both vegetative and reproductive development. Integrating SPC into commercial almond breeding programs may offer a valuable strategy to improve climate resilience and help sustain yields under warming conditions. HighlightIntegrating stem photosynthesis into commercial almond hybrids provides a winter carbon source that advances blooming, expands trunk growth by [~]33%, and increases kernel yields by more than 4.5-fold.

Plant Biology↗

bioRxiv2025

The PERPETUAL FLOWERING Locus: Necessary But Insufficient for Genomic Prediction of Runnerless and Other Asexual Reproduction Phenotypes in Strawberry

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) reproduces sexually through seeds and asexually through stolons. The ability to cost-effectively clonally propagate hybrid individuals on a large scale has profoundly shaped strawberry breeding and production practices. Despite the technical and economic importance of clonal propagation, little is known about the genetic regulation of runnering in strawberry, other than the photoperiod-dependent pleiotropic effects of PERPETUAL FLOWERING (PF), a dominant, yield-doubling gene introgressed from a wild relative that knocks out temperature-dependent photoperiod sensitivity and partially suppresses runnering. Herewe showthat runnering phenotypes are highly variable and heritable, ranging from runnerless to prolific and unrestrained in both short-day (pfpf) and day-neutral (PF_) plants. We physically mapped the PF locus to Mb 26.4-27.3 on chromosome 4B using high-density SNP haplotypes and historical recombination among 932 individuals. PF was the only runneringassociated locus uncovered by genome-wide association studies among diverse clonal genetic resources and progeny from narrow and wide crosses (1,537 individuals). However, PF explained only 22% of the genetic variance for runnering. Genomic-estimated breeding values for runnering were accurately estimated especially among runnerless to near-runnerless individuals. Genomic prediction accuracies were greater within than between populations, increased when corrected for PF, and are sufficient for implementing genomic selection. These results pave the way for enhancing the productivity of strawberry by creating runnerless cultivars for seed-propagation and near-runnerless and reduced runnering cultivars for clone-propagation through phenotypic or genomic selection. 1 CORE IDEASO_LIGenetic variation for runnering is substantial and heritable C_LIO_LIThe dominant PERPETUAL FLOWERING (PF) allele does not uniformly or ubiquitously suppress asexual reproduction C_LIO_LISubstantial wild donor DNA has persisted in day-neutral and summer-plant cultivars carrying the Wasatch PF allele C_LIO_LIThe accuracy of PF-corrected breeding values for runnering are sufficient for implementing genomic selection C_LIO_LIStrawberry productivity can be improved by introducing cultivars with runnerless or near-runnerless phenotypes C_LI

genetics↗

bioRxiv2021

Revealing the genetic components responsible for the unique photosynthetic stem capability of the wild almond Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle

Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb) is a major deciduous fruit tree crop worldwide. During dormancy, under warmer temperatures and inadequate chilling hours, the plant metabolic activity increases and may lead to carbohydrate deficiency. Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle is a bushy wild almond species known for its green, un-barked stem, which stays green even during the dormancy period. Our study revealed that P. arabica green stems assimilate significantly high rates of CO2 during the winter as compared to P. dulcis cv. Um el Fahem (U.E.F), and may improve carbohydrate status throughout dormancy. To uncover the genetic inheritance and mechanism behind the P. arabica Stem Photosynthetic Capability (SPC), a segregated F1 population was generated by crossing P. arabica to U.E.F. Both parents whole genome was sequenced, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling identified 4,887 informative SNPs for genotyping. A robust genetic map for U.E.F and P. arabica was constructed (971 and 571 markers, respectively). QTL mapping and association study for the SPC phenotype revealed major QTL (log of odd (LOD)=20.8) on chromosome 7, and another minor but significant QTL on chromosome 1 (LOD=3.9). Finally, a list of 73 candidate genes was generated. This work sets the stage for future research to investigate the mechanism regulating the SPC trait, how it affects the trees physiology, and its importance for breeding new cultivars better adapted to high winter temperatures.

plant biology↗