Genetic Breeding and Diversity of the Genus Passiflora: Progress and Perspectives in Molecular and Genetic Studies

Abstract

Despite the ecological and economic importance of passion fruit (Passiflora spp.), molecular markers have only recently been utilized in genetic studies of this genus. In addition, both basic genetic researches related to population studies and pre-breeding programs of passion fruit remain scarce for most Passiflora species. Considering the number of Passiflora species and the increasing use of these species as a resource for ornamental, medicinal, and food purposes, the aims of this review are the following: (i) to present the current condition of the passion fruit crop; (ii) to quantify the applications and effects of using molecular markers in studies of Passiflora; (iii) to present the contributions of genetic engineering for passion fruit culture; and (iv) to discuss the progress and perspectives of this research. Thus, the present review aims to summarize and discuss the relationship between historical and current progress on the culture, breeding, and molecular genetics of passion fruit.

Characterization and selection of passion fruit (yellow and purple) accessions based on molecular markers and disease reactions for use in breeding programs

“…In addition, the number of alleles detected in passion fruit undergoing recurrent selection has beenreported to be fewer than three alleles per locus (Reis et al 2011). Considering the apparent pattern of low diversity at SSR loci observed in passion fruit (Cerqueira-Silva et al 2014c), the number of alleles identified in the set of evaluated accessions is considered favorable for establishing strategies for selecting and forming base populations for breeding. The obtained Nei's genetic diversity values (average of 0.49) were consistent with the expectation for outcrossing species and with the values observed in a previous study for P. edulis .…”

“…3 Dendrograms obtained through UPGMA cluster construction based on the modified Rogers' distance (Wright 1978) for microsatellite data (a) and forthe Mahalanobis distance for disease reaction data (b), considering 36 passion fruit accessions from the germplasm bank of EMBRAPA Cassava and Fruits, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil. Note Accessionsthat presented a lower intensity of symptoms for the three diseases evaluated in this study are identified with a star Euphytica (2015) 202:345-359 353 the values obtained in previous genetic characterizations performed in passion fruit using microsatellite markers (Cerqueira- Silva et al 2014c). The few such studies conducted to date have indicated a low number of alleles at the loci characterized for the commercial species P. edulis (4.7) CerqueiraSilva et al 2014b) and P. alata (3.1) ).…”

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Capacity of Brazilian Passiflora Seed Oils

“…The Passifloraceae family consists of a large number of genera (18 to 23) with more than 530 to 700 distinct species that are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of North America, South America, Asia and Africa. The principal genus, Passiflora , consists of approximately 400 known species, of which approximately 70 are considered as having edible fruits called passion fruit (Cunha and others ; Cerqueira‐Silva and others ).…”

“…In Brazil, the only Passiflora species in a well‐established supply chain and under large‐scale production are Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa (yellow passion fruit) and Passiflora alata (sweet passion fruit). In other Latin American countries, other species, such as Passiflora ligularis Juss (sweet granadilla), Passiflora mollissima (Kunth) L. H. Bailey (banana passion fruit), Passiflora edulis Sims (purple passion fruit), Passiflora maliformis (sweet calabash), and Passiflora quadrangularis (giant granadilla) are cultivated (Faleiro and others ; Cerqueira‐Silva and others ).…”

Molecular Genetic Variability of Commercial and Wild Accessions of Passion Fruit (Passiflora spp.) Targeting ex Situ Conservation and Breeding

“…Molecular markers are important tools for germplasm characterization because they facilitate different steps in pre-breeding and breeding programs, and they reduce the time required for the release of cultivars. No studies concerning heritable variation have been conducted for most Passiflora species, and molecular genetic analysis has been restricted to approximately 15% of the species within the genus, with the majority of studies using only a few accessions per species along with dominant markers [36]. …”