Pumpkin Genome Sequence Now Available
November 2, 2017| |
Scientists at Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and the National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables in Beijing, China have sequenced the genomes of two important pumpkin species, Cucurbita maxima and C. moschata.
The research team sequenced the two pumpkin species to better understand their contrasting desirable traits: C. moschata is known for its resistance to disease and other stresses, such as extreme temperatures, while C. maxima is better known for its fruit quality and nutrition. The hybrid of these two species called "Shintosa" has even greater stress tolerance than C. moschata, and is often used as a rootstock for other cucurbit crops.
The sequencing project also revealed an interesting evolutionary history for Cucurbita species. When the researchers compared the Cucurbita genome sequences to those of other cucurbits, they discovered that the pumpkin genome is actually a combination of two ancient genomes, making it a paleotetraploid.
For more details, read the BTI News.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Kenyan Stakeholders Prepare for Commercialization of Bt Cotton
- Pumpkin Genome Sequence Now Available
- USDA APHIS Announces Availability of Petition for Deregulation of GE Cotton
- Scientists Engineer Cowpea to Produce Bt Protein Against Maruca Pod Borer
- Pampanga Stakeholders Get Updates on Biotech and Biosafety Regulations in PH
- Scientists from China Develop Rice that Can Grow in Seawater
- Scientists Develop Late Blight Resistant Potato
-
Research Highlights
- AtFC1 Overexpression Confers Plant Tolerance to Cadmium Toxicity
- Potassium Transporter OsHAK1 Regulates Responses to Drought Stress in Rice
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Drought Resistant Jojoba to Help Grow New Forests
- Water Buffalo Genome Sequenced
- The Roles of B-BOX Genes in Pears
-
From the BICs
- Agri Info Officers Trained on Agri Storytelling on Social Media
-
Plant
- Generation of Parthenocarpic Tomato Plants using CRISPR-Cas9
- Smallholder Farmers to Gain from Gene Editing Technology
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet