Key in the eradication of bitter almonds
Most of the Prunus species have a bitter and toxic seed, although there is a group of almond tree varieties that bear a sweet almond, an aspect that has been key in their domestication and their agricultural and economic interest. Previous studies identified certain genes involved in the synthesis of the compound that confers bitterness and toxicity to these seeds: amygdalin. Now, the CRAG team has discovered that in sweet almond tree crops, at least one of these genes involved in the synthesis of amygdalin is affected by transposon insertions, suggesting a key role not only in the diversification of the almond tree and the peach tree, but also in variations within the same species (bitter almond and sweet almond)....
More information: Tyler Alioto et al, Transposons played a major role in the diversification between the closely related almond and peach genomes: Results from the almond genome sequence, The Plant Journal (2019). DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14538
From CRAG
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