Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a xerophytic shrub cultivated for its flower buds and fruits, used as food
and for their medicinal properties. Breeding programs and even proper taxonomic classification of the
genus Capparis has been hampered so far by the lack of reliable genetic information and molecular
markers. Here, we present the first genomic resource for C. spinosa, generated by transcriptomic
approach and de novo assembly. The sequencing effort produced nearly 80 million clean reads
assembled into 124,723 unitranscripts. Careful annotation and comparison with public databases
revealed homologs to genes with a key role in important metabolic pathways linked to abiotic stress
tolerance and bio-compounds production, such purine, thiamine and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis,
α-linolenic acid and lipid metabolism. Additionally, a panel of genes involved in stomatal development/
distribution and encoding for Stress Associated Proteins (SAPs) was also identified. We also used the
transcriptomic data to uncover novel molecular markers for caper. Out of 50 SSRs tested, 14 proved
polymorphic and represent the first set of SSR markers for the genus Capparis. This transcriptome will
be an important contribution to future studies and breeding programs for this orphan crop, aiding to the
development of improved varieties to sustain agriculture in arid conditions. |
