Review on forward genetics in the genetic control research of fruit quality in Rosaceae

Fruit quality significantly impacts consumer purchase intention and commercial value. It is a complex trait governed by the interplay of ‌genetic factors and often influenced by environmental factors. The Rosaceae family includes the majority of economically important temperate fruit crops, and its members are early model systems for genetic studies in perennial fruit trees. In this review, we review current knowledge on forward genetics in the genetic control research of fruit quality in Rosaceae, with emphasis on the advances in the genetic basis of the external and internal quality traits in the three Rosaceae model plants, i.e., apple, peach and strawberry. We present causal variants and genes associated with fruit quality attributes, and highlight the pleiotropic effects of candidate genes associated with maturity date on fruit quality traits in Rosaceae. We discuss the conservation of genetic mechanisms behind fruit quality among Rosaceae species and point out the co-regulation of fruit quality attributes as an active future research topic.