Abstract
Abstract Seven experimental selections and one commercial cultivar of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) were grown in moderate (22/18°C, day/night) and cool (11/7°, day/night) regimes to determine the influence of temperature on potato tuber nitrogen, amino acid, and nucleic acid levels. Tubers from low temperatures had higher percentages of rRNA and lower levels of alpha-keto acids. Moderate and cool grown tubers of the same genotype exhibited slightly different gel electrophoretic banding patterns in 88% of the samples, evidence that tuber protein composition was altered. Glutamate, from HCl hydrolysates, was higher in cool grown tubers. Most cool grown tubers were higher in Kjeldahl nitrogen, due in part to higher levels of glutamate family amino acids, i.e. glutamate, proline and arginine. The free amino acids, histidine and arginine were higher in the cool grown tubers. The essential amino acid scores of leucine, isoleucine, lysine, threonine and valine and the amino acid patterns of methionine were significantly lower in the cool grown tubers; consequently, the cool grown tubers were nutritionally inferior per unit of tuber nitrogen.
Published Version
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