Genes Controlling Sugar And Acid Content Played Key Role In Jujube Domestication

Genes involved in creating sweet jujube fruits with the right amount of tartness played an important role in the domestication of this popular Asian fruit, according to genomic analyses by Jian Huang and Xingang Li of Northwest A&F University in Yangling, China, and colleagues, in a study published December 22nd in PLOS Genetics.

Humans love fruits with the right balance of sweetness and acidity, but the role played by genetics in turning a sour wild fruit into a sweet, domesticated one is not well understood. Researchers sequenced the Chinese jujube, an economically important fruit tree crop in China, as well as 31 cultivated and wild varieties of the fruit, to gain insight into its domestication process.