Genetics and genomics of vegetable crops

Overview

Our research focuses on developing genetic and genomic tools for the characterization of important agronomic traits in melon and related vegetable crops. We develop our activities in the framework of public funded projects or in collaboration with private companies. We routinely apply a wide range of genetic, genomic, metabolomic, bioinformatic and phenotypic approaches to the main research lines of our group:

- Characterizing fruit ripening in melon and understanding the molecular basis of the non-climacteric ripening found in the inodorus melon genotypes. 

- Applying gene-editing technologies for the functional validation of candidate genes for melon traits. 

- Refining our reference melon genome sequence through the application of cutting edge sequencing technologies. 

- Analysing the extant variability in melon germplasm using re-sequencing approaches.

- Obtaining molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding of qualitative and quantitative traits in cucurbitaceae and solanaceae crops.

Selected Publications

Santo Domingo M, Orduña L, Navarro D, Mayobre C, Santiago A, Valverde L, Alexiou KG, Matus JT, Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J.
The ethylene-responsive transcription factor ERF024 is a novel regulator of climacteric fruit ripening in melon.
(2024) The Plant Journal (in press)

Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J.
Regulation of climacteric fruit ripening in melon: recent advances and future challenges.
(2023) Journal of Experimental Botany, 74, 6224-6236

Giordano A, Santo Domingo M, Quadrana L, Pujol M, Martin-Hernandez AM, Garcia-Mas J.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing uncovers the roles of CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE 1 and REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 in melon fruit ripening and epigenetic regulation.
(2022) Journal of Experimental Botany, 73, 40222-4033

Santo Domingo M, Areco L, Mayobre C, Valverde L, Martín-Hernández AM, Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J.
Modulating climacteric intensity in melon through QTL Stacking.
(2022) Horticulture Research, 9, uhac131

Mayobre C, Pereira L, Eltahiri A, Bar E, Lewinsohn E, Garcia-Mas J, Pujol M.
Genetic dissection of aroma biosynthesis in melon and its relationship with climacteric ripening.
(2021) Food Chemistry, 353, 129484/p>

Pereira L, Santo Domingo M, Ruggieri V, Argyris J, Phillips MA, Zhao G, Lian Q, Xu Y, Huang S, Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J.
Genetic dissection of climacteric fruit ripening in a melon population segregating for ripening behavior.
(2020) Horticulture Research, 7, 187

Zhao G, Lian Q, Zhang Z et al.
A comprehensive genome variation map of melon identifies multiple domestication events and loci influencing agronomic traits.
(2019) Nature Genetics, 51, 1607-1615

Lü P, Yu S, Zhu N, Chen Y-R, Zhou B, Pan Y, Tzeng D, Fabi JP, Argyris J, Garcia-Mas J, Ye N, Zhang J, Grierson D, Xiang J, Fei Z, Giovannoni J, Zhong S
Genome encode analyses reveal the basis of convergent evolution of fleshy fruit ripening. 
(2018) Nature Plants, 4(10), 784-791

Pereira L, Pujol M, Garcia-Mas J, Phillips MA
Non-invasive ethylene quantification in attached fruit headspace at 1 ppb by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. 
(2017) The Plant Journal 91:172-183

Ríos P,  Argyris J, Vegas J, Leida C, Kenigswald M, Tzuri G, Troadec C, Bendahmane A, Katzir N, Picó B, Monforte AJ, Garcia-Mas J 
ETHQV6.3 is involved in melon climacteric fruit ripening and is encoded by a NAC domain transcription factor. 
(2017) The Plant Journal 91: 671-683

Garcia-Mas J, Benjak A, Sanseverino W, Bourgeois M, Mir G et al 
The genome of melon (Cucumis melo L.)
(2012) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109:11872-11877