Transcriptome analysis of domesticated breadfruit and its wild relatives. Artocarpus

The goal of this research was to provide a better understanding of the genomic effects of the domestication process in breadfruit and, ultimately, to develop genomic resources that may facilitate the development of improved cultivars in the future. A reference transcriptome of breadfruit was assembled de novo and characterized. Twenty-four transcriptomes of breadfruit and its wild relatives were generated and analyzed to reveal signals of positive selection that have potentially resulted from domestication or natural selection. Focus was placed on analyzing MADS-box genes, which often regulate plant development, and carotenoids biosynthesis genes, which can impact the nutritional quality of the fruit.