Cytoplasmic genome diversity in the cultivated apple - Short Communication

The cultivated apple is one of the most common and important fruit crops in temperate regions. Phylogenetic analysis using a wide array of apple genotypes could give insights into the origin and domestication history of this crop. Maternally inherited mitochondrial and chloroplast DNAs have been utilised to characterise the cytoplasmic diversity within the apple germplasm collection and to elucidate the relationships between the cytoplasm types defined. This review focuses on the molecular basis of changes in the mitochondrial genome giving rise to diverse cytoplasm types. The possible maternal lineage of the cultivated apple is also discussed.