The Passion Fruit Genome

Abstract

The genus Passiflora comprises a large group of plants popularly known as passion fruits, much appreciated for their exotic flowers and edible fruits. The genus has long attracted considerable attention due to its economic value, broad geographic distribution and remarkable species diversity, which are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Neotropics. Despite their biological attributes and economic importance, the species are largely neglected when it comes to conducting genomic studies. However, in 2021, a chromosome-scale genome assembly was published for a purple passion fruit cultivar (Passiflora edulis) and a genome sequence resource of the wild species, P. organensis, was assembled by adopting short- and long-read technologies. In contrast to P. edulis (1,327 Mbp), P. organensis has a small genome (259 Mbp). In this chapter we summarize some interesting results that emerged from the analysis of the Passiflora sequences, including satellite DNAs and transposable element characterization in the context of cytogenetics and evolution of the genus, organellar genome organization, and the MADS-box gene family that is known to have important biological roles in Passiflora, especially with regard to reproductive development. Although understudied, over the last decades, work on breeding passion fruit varieties has been conducted in some private and public institutions with a view to releasing cultivars of P. edulis, the main cultivated species worldwide. Therefore, studies related to genetics and breeding are also summarized.