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Rodrigo, JavierAuthor

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August 26, 2026
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A next-generation sequencing approach for high-resolution S-locus genotyping in apricot

Publicated to: Scientific Reports. 16 (1): - 2026-08-26, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-59797-w

Authors:

Lora, J., Torres, A., Hormaza, J. I., Rodrigo, J., & Hedhly, A.
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Abstract

Most temperate fruit crops exhibit a Gametophytic Self-Incompatibility (GSI) mechanism that prevents incompatible pollen tube growth and promotes outbreeding. In Prunus species, this system is governed by the multiallelic S-locus, which contains the S-haplotype-specific F-box (SFB) and S-RNase genes. Accurate determination of S-haplotypes is important for fruit breeding and orchard design and has traditionally relied on PCR-based analysis. However, PCR-based methods, combined with the partial sequencing of many S-alleles, may lead to ambiguous or incorrect allele identification. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has generated numerous apricot genome datasets and revealed additional self-incompatibility alleles, yet S-locus genotypes remain unknown for many accessions. Here, we present a high-resolution NGS-based approach for S-locus genotyping based on genome filtering, mapping to a synthetic reference sequence, and automated S-allele calling. This approach is not intended to replace routine PCR-based S-genotyping, but rather to complement it in cases requiring sequence-level validation, clarification of ambiguous genotypes, or identification of previously uncharacterized alleles. Using this approach, S-haplotypes were inferred in 226 apricot cultivars, including 187 new genotype assignments, 30 confirmations of previously reported genotypes, and 9 cases that differed from previous reports. These results expanded the available information on pollination requirements to 422 apricot varieties. Sequence-based comparison of reported alleles documented 22 potential cases of synonymy and 20 cases of homonymy and supported the curation of 52 S-RNase and 28 SFB allele groups, increasing the number of reconstructed complete S-loci from 11 to 19. Furthermore, 129 cultivars were identified as carrying the Sc haplotype associated with self-compatibility. Overall, this study provides a high-resolution framework for apricot S-locus genotyping and a sequence-based resource to support future community efforts toward nomenclature harmonization.
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Keywords

AlelosGenotiposIncompatibilidad del polenMejoramiento genéticoPolinizaciónPrunus armeniacaSecuenciación de alto rendimiento

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Scientific Reports due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2026, it was in position 21/141, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Multidisciplinary Sciences.

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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-11-15:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 1.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 1 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 2.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 2 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Awards linked to the item

This research was funded by the projects PID2020-115473RR-I00 and PID2022-141851OB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, and Gobierno de Aragón—European Social Fund, European Union (Grupo Consolidado A12_23R).
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