GENOMIC APPROACHES TO POSTHARVEST BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSES OF CITRUS FRUIT

Abstract

Citrus fruit may be subjected to biotic and abiotic stresses during postharvest handling and storage that influence their marketability. The major biotic stress is caused by phytopathogenic fungi of the genus Penicillium, being P. digitatum the most important pathogen. Among the abiotic stresses, we are particularly interested in chilling injury and in the heat-induced chilling tolerance of chilling-sensitive citrus cultivars. To gain a deeper knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the defence response of Citrus fruit to pathogen attack and on the heat-induced chilling tolerance, we have undertaken two complementary approaches. In the framework of the Spanish Citrus Functional Genomic Project, CFGP we have generated one cDNA library for each condition that will allow us to get a general picture of the genes being transcribed under these conditions.[...]