ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

New genetic research effort aims to make watermelons tastier, more resilient

I'd bite.

Alexandru MicubyAlexandru Micu
November 1, 2019
in Biology, Genetics, News, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

If you like watermelons, this team has big news for you.

Image credits Aline Ponce.

A new research effort aims to pave the way towards new and improved watermelons. The study took a comprehensive look at the genomes of all seven watermelon species to create a database that plant breeders can use to produce tastier, plumper, and more resistant watermelons.

The Better Melon

“As humans domesticated watermelon over the past 4,000 years, they selected fruit that were red, sweet and less bitter,” said Zhangjun Fei, a faculty member at Boyce Thompson Institute and co-leader of the international effort.

“Unfortunately, as people made watermelons sweeter and redder, the fruit lost some abilities to resist diseases and other types of stresses.”

Back in 2013, Fei co-led the creation of the first watermelon reference genome. This database was built from an East Asian cultivated variety ‘97103’. That variety, and likely the watermelon you’re imagining right now belongs to the Citrullus lanatus species, i.e. the sweet fruit with a juicy red interior.

However, Fei explains that there are six other wild species of watermelon that have pale, hard, bitter fruits, but possess other desirable qualities — such as a higher resilience against man-made climate change. Introducing the genes that generate such qualities into cultivated watermelon varieties can help make the fruits tastier, better able to grow in diverse climates, as well as more resistant to pests, diseases, and other factors. But, in order for us to get there, we first need to know which genes these are.

In order to find out, the team started with the reference genome Fei worked on in 2013, and created an improved version. The previous work relied on short-read sequencing technologies, Fei explains, while the newer one uses long-read sequencing technologies, allowing for “a much higher quality genome that will be a much better reference for the watermelon community.”

Next, the group sequenced the genomes of 414 watermelons across all seven species. By comparing these genomes both to the new reference genome and to each other, they were able to determine the evolutionary relationship of the different watermelon species.

“One major discovery from our analysis is that one wild species that is widely used in current breeding programs, C. amarus, is a sister species and not an ancestor as was widely believed,” Fei said.

Modern watermelon cultivars were domesticated by breeding out the fruits’ bitterness while increasing their sweetness, size, and reddening their flesh. Over the past few hundred years, the fruits kept becoming sweeter, but also improved in regards to flavor and crispiness of texture. The team identified several regions of the watermelon genome that could be leveraged to continue improving these qualities in cultivars.

RelatedPosts

Can fruit protect your teeth? These researchers from Japan believe so
New DNA sequencing device could decode your genome for just $1000
If You Need Only 4 Hours of Sleep, You Might Have This Rare Genetic Mutation
Scientists find more than 1,200 genes linked to educational attainment

“The sweet watermelon has a very narrow genetic base,” says Amnon Levi, a research geneticist and watermelon breeder at that U.S. Department of Agriculture, one of the study’s co-authors. “But there is wide genetic diversity among the wild species, which gives them great potential to contain genes that provide them tolerance to pests and environmental stresses.”

The team also published an accompanying paper analyzing 1,175 melons, including cantaloupe and honeydew varieties. The researchers found 208 genomic regions that were associated with fruit mass, quality, and morphological characteristics, which could be useful for melon breeding.

The paper “Resequencing of 414 cultivated and wild watermelon accessions identifies selection for fruit quality traits” has been published in the journal Nature Genetics.

link

Tags: Fruitgenesgenomewatermelon

ShareTweetShare
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

Related Posts

Archaeology

The People of Carthage Weren’t Who We Thought They Were

byTibi Puiu
3 weeks ago
Archaeology

The Oldest Human Genomes in Europe Show How an Entire Branch of Humanity Disappeared

byTibi Puiu
5 months ago
Genetics

If You Need Only 4 Hours of Sleep, You Might Have This Rare Genetic Mutation

byMarla Broadfoot
5 months ago
Science

Can fruit protect your teeth? These researchers from Japan believe so

byMihai Andrei
8 months ago

Recent news

The Worm That Outsourced Locomotion to Its (Many) Butts

May 16, 2025

The unusual world of Roman Collegia — or how to start a company in Ancient Rome

May 16, 2025
Merton College, University of Oxford. Located in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

For over 500 years, Oxford graduates pledged to hate Henry Symeonis. So, who is he?

May 16, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.