Genomic Instability in Somatic Hybridization between Poncirus and Citrus Species Aiming to Create New Rootstocks

Rootstocks are an important component for citrus adaptation to increasing biotic and abiotic stresses resulting from global climate change. There is a strong complementarity between Citrus species, which adapt to abiotic stresses, and Poncirus trifoliata and its intergeneric hybrids, which exhibit resistances or tolerances to major diseases and pests. Thus, symmetrical somatic hybridization between complementary diploid rootstocks of these two genera appears to be an efficient way to develop new tetraploid rootstocks in order to address the new challenges of the citrus industry. New intergeneric somatic hybrids were obtained by electrofusion between protoplasts of Citrus and P. trifoliata hybrids. Extensive characterization of the nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes was performed by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis. This revealed diploid cybrids and nuclear somatic hybrids. Mitochondrial genomes were mostly inherited from the callus parent, but homologous recombination events were observed for one parental combination. Chloroplasts exhibited random uniparental inheritance. GBS revealed local chromosomal instabilities for all nuclear somatic hybrids and whole chromosome eliminations for two hybrids. However, at the whole genome level, symmetrical addition of the nuclear genomes of both parents was predominant and all somatic hybrids displayed at least one trifoliate orange haplotype throughout the genome.

Automated summary

Rootstocks are crucial for citrus adaptation to climate change. Symmetrical somatic hybridization between citrus and Poncirus trifoliata can lead to the development of new rootstock varieties. Genotyping-by-sequencing analysis revealed nuclear and cytoplasmic genome characteristics of the somatic hybrids.