Pear domestication has been shaped by migration, hybridization, selection, and long-term cultivation across Eurasia. Asian and European pears are generally recognized as distinct domestication groups, yet cultivated pear populations often carry mixed ancestry because of natural gene flow and breeding. At the same time, many traits that matter most to growers and consumers—such as low acidity, reduced astringency, attractive skin color, distinctive aroma, and favorable fruit structure—are genetically complex. Previous genome studies have helped identify important loci, but many candidate genes remained poorly localized or unverified. Due to these challenges, deeper research is needed into the evolutionary history of pear and the genomic basis of its key agronomic traits.
Researchers from the Research Institute of Pomology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, together with collaborators from Berry Genomics Corporation, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, and Anhui Agricultural University, reported (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhag042) the study in Horticulture Research on March 2, 2026. The article analyzed wild relatives, landraces, and cultivated pears to reconstruct population history and connect genetic variation with important traits.
The team generated 4.13 terabases of high-quality sequencing data and identified 11,031,864 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population analyses grouped wild and cultivated accessions and indicated that the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau was a putative dissemination center for cultivated Pyrus pyrifolia and Pyrus bretschneideri. The study also detected two historical population bottlenecks during major glacial periods and revealed extensive introgression among pear groups, especially between European and Asian lineages in Northwest China and between wild and cultivated lineages in Northeast China. Using three years of phenotypic data, the researchers mapped loci associated with nine agronomic traits and identified eight candidate genes: PbeMADS25 for stigma and locule number, PbeSPP for stamen number, PbeDHQ-SDH for young leaf color, PbeARF2 for sepal persistence, PbePPO for astringency, PbePIN3 for acidity, PbeCXE for aroma, and PbeMYB38 for fruit skin color. Overexpression and metabolomic analyses further showed that PbeCXE affects pear aroma by regulating the balance between ester biosynthesis and substrate consumption.
The authors said the study connects pear diversity with the evolutionary forces that produced it. They said the results help explain how pears acquired the traits people recognize in the orchard and at the table, from fragrance and acidity to flower and fruit structure. By combining genomic evidence with biochemical validation, the work moves beyond mapping signals and highlights genes that breeders can begin to use more directly. They said the study also shows that hybridization was not simply genetic noise, but a major force that helped shape the diversity and improvement potential of cultivated pear.
The findings have practical value for both pear breeding and germplasm conservation. Candidate genes identified in the study offer molecular targets for improving fruit flavor, aroma, acidity, astringency, appearance, and reproductive traits. The discovery of admixed populations also points to useful reservoirs of genetic variation for future breeding. Wild relatives such as Pyrus betulifolia, which appeared more resilient during climatic bottlenecks, may help broaden the genetic base of cultivated pears and support adaptation to changing environments. More broadly, the study provides a model for studying perennial fruit crops with complex domestication histories and could accelerate precision molecular breeding in pear and related Rosaceae species.
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References
DOI
10.1093/hr/uhag042
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhag042
Funding information
This research was supported by the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-28-01), the Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ASTIP-2021-RIP-01), and the Agricultural Variety Improvement Project of Shandong Province (2022LZGC011).
About Horticulture Research
Horticulture Research is an open access journal of Nanjing Agricultural University and ranked number one in the Horticulture category of the Journal Citation Reports ™ from Clarivate, 2023. The journal is committed to publishing original research articles, reviews, perspectives, comments, correspondence articles and letters to the editor related to all major horticultural plants and disciplines, including biotechnology, breeding, cellular and molecular biology, evolution, genetics, inter-species interactions, physiology, and the origination and domestication of crops.