Abstract
Potato tuber bud dormancy break followed by premature sprouting is a major commercial problem which results in quality losses and decreased tuber marketability. An approach to controlling premature tuber sprouting is to develop potato cultivars with a longer dormancy period and/or reduced rate of sprout growth. Our recent studies using a potato diploid population have identified several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that are associated with tuber sprout growth. In the current study, we aim to characterize a candidate gene associated with one of the largest effect QTLs for rapid tuber sprout growth on potato chromosome 3. Underlying this QTL is a gene encoding a TERMINAL FLOWER 1/CENTRORADIALIS homologue (PGSC0003DMG400014322). Here, we use a transgenic approach to manipulate the expression level of the CEN family member in a potato tetraploid genotype (cv. Désirée). We demonstrate a clear effect of manipulation of StCEN expression, with decreased expression levels associated with an increased rate of sprout growth, and overexpressing lines showing a lower rate of sprout growth than controls. Associated with different levels of StCEN expression were different levels of abscisic acid and cytokinins, implying a role in controlling the levels of plant growth regulators in the apical meristem.
Highlights
Potato is the third most important food crop in the world after rice and wheat
A homologue of TERMINAL FLOWER 1/CENTRORADIALIS was identified as a candidate gene underlying a large effect QTL for tuber sprouting on potato chromosome 3
A region of ~0.5 Mb either side of the SNP containing 69 genes (Supplementary Table S2) was inspected carefully for gene content, and a CEN gene (StCEN, which maps to ~42.5 Mb on chromosome 3) was identified as a candidate gene for being the causative factor underlying the QTL
Summary
More than a billion people worldwide eat potatoes, and global crop production exceeds 300 Mt per annum (Birch et al, 2012). For both fresh and processing sectors, there is a year-round demand for potato tubers, leading to a requirement for long-term post-harvest storage on an industrial scale. The maintenance of post-harvest quality is of vital importance to producers and processors. Potato tuber bud dormancy break followed by premature sprouting is a major commercial problem which results in quality losses and reduced tuber marketability. Abscisic acid (ABA) has a role in establishing dormancy, cytokinins are required for endodormancy break,and gibberellins and ethylene
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