Most persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) cultivars bear only female flowers, which limits persimmon cross-breeding. Although the genetic and molecular bases of sexuality in persimmon have yet to be determined, a maleness-associated region, DlSx-AF4S, was recently identified in D. lotus L., which is a wild diploid relative of hexaploid/nonaploid D. kaki. This finding suggests that D. lotus has a heterogametic male (XY-type) dioecious sexual system. Here, we investigated the association between DlSx-AF4S genotypes and the maleness (sexuality) of 174 persimmon cultivars. DlSx-AF4S was detected in all but three cultivars that bear male flowers, suggesting that the maleness of persimmon is controlled by a genetic factor similar to that in D. lotus. On the other hand, DlSx-AF4S was also found in 17% of the tested cultivars that were reported to bear only female flowers. Considering that the sexuality of persimmon is more susceptible to environmental factors, some cultivars may hardly bear male flowers under certain conditions even though they have male determinants. In addition, a higher ploidy level in persimmon may also complicate sex expression. This elusive sex expression system in persimmon will be better understood when a male determinant(s) linked to DlSx-AF4S is identified and characterized in the future.
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