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Researchers identified the gene responsible for astringency loss in cultivated persimmon fruit by using haplotype-resolved forward genetics in hexaploid persimmon. They discovered that the previously uncharacterized TANNIN (TAN) gene controls proanthocyanidin accumulation, and that non-astringent varieties arose through the accumulation of two different mutant alleles that prevent TAN expression. Long-read sequencing revealed these mutations independently disrupted TAN transcription, explaining why pollination-constant non-astringent cultivars lack the extreme astringency typical of persimmon fruit.
Why it matters
This discovery enables molecular breeding programs to develop new non-astringent persimmon varieties more efficiently and provides insights into how plants accumulate and store tannins. Understanding TAN function could reveal broader mechanisms of specialized metabolite sequestration in fruit crops.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Persimmon fruit accumulates high levels of proanthocyanidins (PAs), causing extreme astringency. In pollination-constant and non-astringent (PCNA) cultivars, PA accumulation ceases early in fruit development. Although the PCNA trait is recessively controlled by the ASTRINGENCY (AST) locus, its causal gene has remained unknown. Using haplotype-resolved forward genetics in a hexaploid genetic background, we identified the previously uncharacterized TANNIN (TAN) as the causal gene. Long-read sequencing revealed that PCNA originated through the accumulation of independently derived ast alleles that cause transcriptional deficiency of TAN. These findings resolve the complex genetic basis of natural astringency loss in persimmon and provide a framework for molecular breeding. Further investigation of TAN function would uncover mechanisms underlying massive accumulation of PAs in persimmon fruit and insight into specialized metabolite sequestration.
Source: Accumulation of two distinct alleles causes astringency loss in cultivated polyploid persimmon