qinmei.gff

The kiwifruit (Actinidia genus) exhibits extensive polyploidy, with natural populations ranging from diploid to tetraploid, hexaploid, and even higher ploidy levels. Among these, Actinidia deliciosa (green kiwifruit) is a hexaploid species (2n=6x=174), while its close relative A. chinensis (golden kiwifruit) primarily exists as diploid (2n=2x=58) or tetraploid forms. This intricate ploidy diversity reflects a reticulate evolutionary history, likely shaped by hybridization and genome duplication events involving multiple ancestral lineages. Unraveling the origin and inheritance of the hexaploid A. deliciosa—a dominant group of kiwifruits in the global market—is critical for understanding how polyploidization has driven its evolution and for informing breeding strategies.