Indian Mulberry Linkage mapping Database

The flowering plant genus Morus belongs to the Moraceae family, sometimes referred to as the mulberry family. Morus indica is a member of this family. Morus indica, like other mulberries, is a deciduous tree. The Himalayan region's moderate and subtropical climate is home to Morus indica. Currently, it is grown in East Africa, India, China, and Japan. Morus indica is frequently cultivated for its therapeutic characteristics. The mulberries of M. indica, akin to numerous other berries, exhibit strong antioxidant properties. The principal medical employment of M. indica pertains to the regulation of blood glucose levels in those who suffer from diabetes. Several investigations in both humans and mice have demonstrated that the utilization of M. indica resulted in the reduction of blood glucose levels in diabetic individuals through diverse pathways.

IMLM – Indian Mulberry Linkage mapping Database that is specific to Morus Indica: an Indian specific species. The Database focuses on Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and Simple sequence repeats that are increasingly used in genetic and breeding research of plants like Morus indica along with the linkage mapping. These information are important for genetic diversity analysis, marker-assisted selection, genome and QTL mapping, and conservation genetics. SNPs provide more accurate and efficient ways of analyzing genetic variation and identifying desirable traits in Morus indica, helping to improve its productivity and sustainability.

About The Project

This project seeks to address the challenge of enhancing mulberry leaf production through a molecular breeding approach. The aim is to develop a genotyping array comprising of 25K Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify markers for specific traits associated with yield potential, drought adaptation, and disease resistance in mulberry plants. The array will be developed through bioinformatic analysis of the whole genome and transcriptome data from network project NW1. A panel of approximately 350 germplasm accessions will be genotyped using this array, and promising trait donor genotypes will be identified. The project's ultimate goal is to facilitate targeted breeding by providing robust DNA-based molecular markers, thereby accelerating trait introgression and improving mulberry leaf production.

This project envisages the development of a comprehensive database of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers. The markers will be identified using the whole genome and specific transcriptome sequence information. The project also involves aligning the genome sequence data of 20 contrasting lines to identify highly informative SNP markers. This subproject will provide genotyping support to other subprojects, enabling the demonstration of effective Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) decay and the construction of a dense linkage map using codominant markers like SSRs and SNPs.