THE GENOMIC STUDY OF CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.): BRIEF RECOPILATION OF ITS CONCEPTUAL BASES

Abstract

The cacao plant (Theobroma cacao L.) has been cultivated since more than 2,000 years ago by different Mesoamerican cultures. This species represents a significant biocultural resource for the world, due mostly to its importance in the production and commercialization of chocolate. Nowadays, the use and application of genomic tools make relatively possible the characterization of “genotypes” as well as the elucidation of genetic differences between hundreds of individuals at the population level. Current methods of molecular diagnosis, such as microarrangements, massive sequencing of new generation, assemblage and annotation of genomes and genetic expression, help generate data, as well as programming languages and mathematical algorithms that are used in biotechnological processes, whose objective is to improve the understanding and exploitation of the biology of this type of specimens.