The peach genome

The peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] genome sequence has been recently made available to the scientific community. This represents the culmination of a long process that started less than two decades ago with the release of the first marker-based linkage maps. The process has advanced rapidly with the studies of molecular diversity, detection of genome positions of major genes and quantitative trait loci, development of large DNA sequence collections, transcriptome and proteome analyses, comparative genomic studies, construction of a physical map, and development of databases where researchers can access information. The growth of genomics knowledge has been partly due to the simplicity of the peach genome: short (230 Mbp), diploid, and distributed on eight pairs of chromosomes. Its unusually short intergeneration period (2-4 years) and selfing mating behavior, plus a dynamic peach scientific community that has often collaborated in the development of the necessary tools, have also facilitated in constructing a robust sequence of its complete genome. Peach is one of the best known species genetically among tree crops, with the promise of rapid advancement in the next few years. This paper reviews the resources available and the main results obtained, with emphasis placed on application to the development of improved varieties.