Malus sieversii: the origin, flavonoid synthesis mechanism, and breeding of red-skinned and red-fleshed apples

• Main Authors: Nan Wang, Shenghui Jiang, Zongying Zhang, Hongcheng Fang, Haifeng Xu, Yicheng Wang, Xuesen Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2018-10-01
• Series: Horticulture Research
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-018-0084-4

Molecular biology: Making apples even healthier They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but the breeding of new varieties of red-fleshed apples with higher flavonoid contents could make this widely-consumed fruit even healthier. Apples are one of the richest dietary sources of flavonoids—metabolites credited with reducing the risk of various diseases—but during the process of domestication, the genetic diversity and nutritional quality of apples have decreased. In this review, Xue-Sen Chen at Shandong Agricultural University in China and colleagues track the evolution of modern cultivated apples from their ancestor, Malus sieversii, and outline recent developments in our understanding of the molecular pathways underpinning flavonoid synthesis. They also consider how M. sieversii could be used to create new varieties of tasty red-skinned and red-fleshed apples, enriched with beneficial metabolites.