Influence of mitochondria origin on fruit quality in a citrus cybrid.

Sugar, organic acid, and carotenoid are the most important indicators of fruit taste and nutritional and organoleptic quality. These components were studied on fruit pulp of the cybrid between Willow leaf mandarin ( Citrus deliciosa Ten.) and Eureka lemon [ Citrus limon (L.) Burm.] and the two parents. The cybrid possessed nuclear and chloroplast genomes of Eureka lemon plus mitochondria from Willow leaf mandarin. The impact of new mitochondria on fruit quality was studied during the mature period. Levels of organic acids were slightly higher in the cybrid fruit pulp than in Eureka lemon. No significant difference in sugar and carotenoid content was observed between the cybrid and the lemon. Results confirm that the main genetic information for the biosynthesis of sugars, organic acids, and carotenoids is contained in the nucleus. In Citrus, cybridization can be used as a strategy to breed specific traits associated with mitochondrial genomes, such as male sterility, without affecting the main organoleptic and nutritional qualities.