Mapping the genomic landscape of Prunus spp. with PrunusMap

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Plant Breeding
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Next-generation sequencing has advanced plant breeding tools like genome-wide association studies and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis.
• Plant databases with SNP markers are crucial for breeding initiatives and genomic research.
• The Prunus genus, encompassing various fruit trees, benefits from specialized genomic resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce PrunusMap, an open-source web application designed for the Prunus community.
• To provide a user-friendly platform for aligning and locating SNP markers across multiple Prunus genome versions.
• To enhance efficiency in genomic research and plant breeding for Prunus species.

Main Methods:

• Development of an open-source web application, PrunusMap.
• Implementation of a user-friendly interface with features like 'Find markers', 'Align sequences', 'Align proteins', and 'Locate by position'.
• Integration of multiple genome versions, annotations, and SNP markers for Prunus species.

Main Results:

• PrunusMap enables seamless alignment and location of markers across diverse Prunus genome versions.
• The application provides annotated lists of nearby genes and proteins for located markers.
• Four intuitive features streamline marker analysis, reducing workload and boosting efficiency, especially for non-experts.

Conclusions:

• PrunusMap significantly enhances accessibility and efficiency for genomic research and marker-assisted breeding in Prunus.
• The platform's design caters to users with varying levels of bioinformatics expertise.
• PrunusMap is committed to ongoing updates, incorporating new genome sequences, annotations, and markers based on user needs.