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Carotenogenesis during tuber development and storage in potato.
W L Morris1, L Ducreux, D W Griffiths
1Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK.
Journal of Experimental Botany
|March 30, 2004
Summary
Potato carotenoid content varies significantly between Solanum phureja and Solanum tuberosum. Differences in gene expression, particularly zeaxanthin epoxidase, likely regulate carotenoid biosynthesis in tubers.
Area of Science:
- Plant Science
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
Background:
- Potato (Solanum tuberosum and Solanum phureja) germplasm shows over 20-fold variation in tuber carotenoid levels.
- Carotenoids are vital pigments with nutritional and visual importance in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare carotenoid accumulation during tuber development and storage in high-accumulating S. phureja and low-accumulating S. tuberosum.
- To investigate the genetic basis for variations in tuber carotenoid content.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of carotenoid levels during tuber development and post-storage.
- Reverse-phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for carotenoid profiling.
- Analysis of gene expression patterns for carotenoid biosynthetic pathway enzymes.
Main Results:
- S. phureja maintained high carotenoid levels throughout development, unlike S. tuberosum where levels decreased with increasing dry weight.
- Major carotenoids in mature S. phureja were zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and violaxanthin.
- Gene expression analysis revealed significant differences, suggesting transcriptional regulation or mRNA stability impacts carotenoid content, with zeaxanthin epoxidase showing an inverse trend.
Conclusions:
- Transcriptional regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis, potentially involving zeaxanthin epoxidase, explains the wide variation in tuber carotenoid content between potato species.
- Understanding these mechanisms can aid in breeding potatoes with enhanced carotenoid profiles.