TABLE 5.
Whole-genome resequencing studies in date palms and their wild relatives.
| References | Number of germplasm/accessions resequenced | Key findings |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Dous et al. (2011) | 5 female and 3 male and one F1 progeny | • First draft genome assembly of the date palm (cv. Khalas) |
| • Identified 3,518,029 SNPs | ||
| • Identified XY sex-determination model and region controlling sex on XY chromosomes | ||
| Al-Mssallem et al. (2013) | 3 female and 1 male | • Improved genome assembly of the date palm (cv. Khalas) |
| • Functional analysis of genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance and genes involved in sugar metabolism during fruit ripening | ||
| Hazzouri et al. (2015) | 61 female and 1 male | • Genetic diversity analysis among the cultivars from North Africa and the Middle East |
| • Candidate mutations for trait variation in genes involved in the pathways for key agronomic traits | ||
| • Virescens (VIR) gene encoding R2R3 myb-like transcription factor was found to be associated with fruit color variation | ||
| Gros-Balthazard et al. (2017) | 2 date palm cultivars | • Discovered wild date palm populations in remote Oman |
| 3 wild date palms | • Studied population structure and diversity analysis in the date palm | |
| 1 Phoenix sylvestris | • Revealed complex domestication history of date palms | |
| 1 Phoenix atlantica | ||
| Torres et al. (2018) | 15 female and 13 male trees representing all 14 Phoenix species | • Identified male-specific sequences |
| • Further identified CYP703 and GPAT3 genes involved in male flower development in the date palm | ||
| Hazzouri et al. (2019) | 145 female and 12 male | • Improved genome assembly for P. dactylifera |
| • Genome-wide association studies of the sex-determining region and fruit traits | ||
| • Confirmed previous finding that fruit color is controlled by VIRESCENS gene | ||
| • Identified invertase genes controlling sugar composition in date palms |