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Advances in Genomics and Molecular Breeding of Grapevine and Kiwifruit

Submission Deadline: 31 October 2026 View: 3269 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editor(s)

Prof. Dr. Emilio Cervantes

Email: emilio.cervantes@irnasa.csic.es

Affiliation: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Salamanca, 37008, Spain

Homepage:

Research Interests: seeds, seed science, seed biology, seed morphology, seed germination, model plants, ethylene, evolution

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Summary

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) and kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch.) are fruit crops widely cultivated, highly appreciated, and with a promising future. Both species are woody climbers, with intermediate sized diploid genomes of 450 and 700 Megabases, respectively, in 38 chromosomes for V. vinifera and typically 58 chromosomes for A. chinensis, although A. chinensis var. deliciosa (A.Chev.) A.Chev., the common green-flesh variety, is hexaploid.


Recent advances in genetics and molecular biology, including gene editing and haplotype sequencing, genomic analysis, transformation, and breeding, have resulted in rapid advances in both species, for the improvement of traits like disease resistance, fruit quality, and adaptability. This guarantees the interest of a special issue that may cover aspects of interest in the research on these species.


The aim of this special issue will be to bring about an updated view of research on current applied aspects of the research in Grape and Kiwifruit.


Suggested contributions may focus on these or related subjects:
· Sequencing projects and sequence analysis on high-quality reference genomes (e.g., Shiraz, Malbec) and T2T assemblies, pangenomes identifying structural variants, and long-read sequencing;
· Molecular pathways, gene editing, and plant transformation;
· Epigenomic innovations;
· Soil management and organic fertilization;
· Nutritional properties;
· Original approaches in morphological analysis.


Keywords

grape genomics, kiwifruit genetics, gene editing, genome sequencing, epigenomics, plant transformation, soil management and fertilization,fruit quality and nutritional properties

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Seed Morphological Changes Associated with the Domestication of Vitis Cultivars

    José Luis Rodríguez-Lorenzo, José Javier Martín-Gómez, Ángel Anocibar Beloqui, Félix Cabello Sáenz de Santamaría, Gregorio Muñoz Organero, Ángel Tocino, Emilio Cervantes
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.080612
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Genomics and Molecular Breeding of Grapevine and Kiwifruit)
    Abstract Background: The transition from wild Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris to cultivated grapes led to major changes in seed shape, known as the “domestication syndrome.” While traditional measurements distinguish these groups, high-resolution geometric analysis provides a more precise way to track domestication and variety stability. Objective: This study uses a multi-parametric approach—combining Fourier descriptors, curvature analysis, and the J-Index—to quantify seed shape variation across 121 Vitis populations. Methods: We analysed 48 varieties, including wild species and three major cultivated lineages (Iberian, Central European, and Muscat). Results: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) successfully separated wild and cultivated groups. The first three components explained… More >

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