New Potato Breeding Marker for Tuberization Identified
July 8, 2020| |
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute were able to identify a specific protein in the potato genome that is responsible for initiating the growth of tubers. This discovery can potentially provide a new strategy to increase the productivity of potatoes, a crop considered to be pivotal for global food security.
Crop maturity is crucial in potato agronomy and is dictated by the earliness of tuberization. To explore this further, the researchers investigated the role of the TERMINAL FLOWER-1/CENTRORADIALIS gene family, termed as StCEN, in potato tuberization. They found that its reduction accelerated tuber formation, while its over-expression caused delayed tuberization and reduced tuber yield. Furthermore, a specific tuberization signal, StSP6A, was found to be the activation target of the tuberigen activation complex. StCEN suppresses tuberization by directly antagonizing StSP6A in the stolons.
The researchers concluded that StCEN can serve as a breeding marker to improve tuber initiation and yield. This can help potato breeders develop fast-maturing, more resilient potato varieties that can withstand the challenges of climate change.
Read the details of the study in The Plant Journal and the news release from the James Hutton Institute.
| |
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
- ISF Urges Governments to Continue Facilitating Seed Movement without Restrictions under COVID-19 Pandemic
- Local Investors Challenged to Support Genome Editing Start-ups in Africa
- Comparison Between GM and Non-GM Maize Shows No Difference in Composition, Agronomic Traits
- Plant Tissue Engineering Improves Drought and Salinity Tolerance in Arabidopsis
- 92% Cotton, 90% Corn Areas in the US Produced with GE Seeds
- Researchers Identify Genes that Tell Plants when to Flower
-
Research Highlights
- New Potato Breeding Marker for Tuberization Identified
-
Plant
- Scientists Use TALENs for Targeted Genome Editing of Potato
-
Health
- Most Americans Supportive of Scientific Interventions to Stop COVID-19, 72% Willing to Get Vaccinated
- Genes Linked to COVID-19 Risk Inherited from Neanderthals
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 17, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 10, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet