Peach: The model genome for Rosaceae genomics

For genome comparative studies and identification of important genes, it is critical to have adequate genomic resources in key model species. These resources exist for Brassicaceae (Arabidopsis), Solanaceae (tomato) and the Poaceae (rice), however, not for Rosaceae. For Rosaceae, a number of laboratories worldwide have formed a consortium with the goal of building genomic resources in peach as a model for identification, characterization, and cloning of genes important to Rosaceae crops. For this, laboratories have produced saturated molecular marker linkage maps in numerous peach crosses segregating for important simple, as well as complex traits. Map and marker development of our laboratory and consortium partners will be presented. For breeding and facilitating comparative genomics and gene discovery, it is advantageous to have a highly developed physical database for a Rosaceae model species. A physical map is an ideal tool to compare maps of different species and identify cloned regions containing important genes, facilitating gene marking and gene discovery in related species. We are constructing a BAC framework physical map for peach and are integrating onto this map, genetic markers from other Rosaceae and key model species. Our efforts and those of the consortium partners for structural and functional genomics in peach will be summarized.