Adaskaveg Jaclyn A, Lee Chaehee, Wei Yiduo, Wang Fangyi, Grilo Filipa S, Mesquida-Pesci Saskia D, Davis Matthew, Wang Selina C, Marino Giulia, Ferguson Louise, Brown Patrick J, Drakakaki Georgia, Morales Adela Mena, Marchese Annalisa, Giovino Antonio, Burgos Esaú Martínez, Marra Francesco Paolo, Cuevas Lourdes Marchante, Cattivelli Luigi, Bagnaresi Paolo, Carbonell-Bejerano Pablo, Monroe J Grey, Blanco-Ulate Barbara
Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
Corto Olive, Lodi, CA, 95212, USA.
New Phytol. 2025 May;246(3):1032-1048. doi: 10.1111/nph.70060. Epub 2025 Mar 19.
Pistachio is a sustainable nut crop with exceptional climate resilience and nutritional value. However, the molecular processes underlying pistachio nut development and nutritional traits are largely unknown, compounded by limited genomic and molecular resources. To advance pistachios as a future food source and a model system for hard-shelled fruits, we generated a chromosome-scale reference genome of the most widely grown pistachio cultivar (Pistacia vera 'Kerman') and a spatiotemporal study of nut development. We integrated tissue-level physiological data from thousands of nuts over three growing seasons with transcriptomic data encompassing 14 developmental time points of the hull, shell, and kernel to assemble gene modules associated with physiological changes. Our study defined four distinct stages of pistachio nut growth and maturation. We then focused on the kernel to identify transcriptional and metabolic changes in molecular pathways governing nutritional quality, such as the accumulation of unsaturated fatty acids, which are vital for shelf life and dietary value. These findings revealed key candidate conserved regulatory genes, such as PvAP2-WRI1 and PvNFYB-LEC1, likely involved in oil accumulation in kernels. This work yields new knowledge and resources that will inform other woody crops and facilitate further improvement of pistachio as a globally significant, sustainable, and nutritious crop.
开心果是一种可持续的坚果作物，具有出色的气候适应能力和营养价值。然而，开心果坚果发育和营养特性背后的分子过程在很大程度上尚不清楚，再加上基因组和分子资源有限，情况更加复杂。为了将开心果发展成为未来的食物来源以及硬壳果实的模型系统，我们生成了种植最广泛的开心果品种（阿月浑子‘克尔曼’）的染色体级参考基因组，并对坚果发育进行了时空研究。我们将三个生长季节中数千颗坚果的组织水平生理数据与涵盖果壳、果壳和果仁14个发育时间点的转录组数据相结合，以组装与生理变化相关的基因模块。我们的研究确定了开心果坚果生长和成熟的四个不同阶段。然后，我们专注于果仁，以确定控制营养品质的分子途径中的转录和代谢变化，例如不饱和脂肪酸的积累，这对保质期和营养价值至关重要。这些发现揭示了关键的候选保守调控基因，如PvAP2-WRI1和PvNFYB-LEC1，它们可能参与了果仁中的油脂积累。这项工作产生了新的知识和资源，将为其他木本作物提供信息，并有助于进一步改良开心果，使其成为具有全球重要性、可持续性和营养价值的作物。
