A landscape of resistance gene analogs in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.)

Abstract Objective: This research aims to analyze the presence and distribution of resistance genes in the subgenomes of Prunus cerasus (P. avium and P. fruticosa) through computational methods and bioinformatics tools. Results: Analysis of genome and transcriptome sequencing data revealed a total of 19,570 transcripts with at least one resistance gene domain in P. avium and 19,142 in P. fruticosa. Key findings include the identification of 804 "complete" resistance gene transcripts in P. avium and 817 in P. fruticosa, with distinct distributions of resistance gene classes observed between the subgenomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of resistance genes, and unique resistance proteins were identified in each subgenome. Functional annotation comparisons with Arabidopsis thaliana highlighted shared and unique resistance genes, emphasizing the complexity of disease resistance in cherry species. Additionally, a higher diversity of RLKs and RLPs was observed, with 504 transcripts identified and 18 showing similarity to known reference genes.