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Imprint
Genetic and molecular characterization of genes involved in production of important volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in carrots
Project
Project code: JKI-ZGO-08-4168
Contract period: 01.09.2013
- 31.08.2015
Purpose of research: Basic research
Plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary metabolites which serve as signalling compounds, are involved in pathways controlling biotic and abiotic stress interactions, and play a decisive role in the production of volatiles that influence the flavour and aroma of fruits and vegetables. It has been proposed that VOC emissions can be manipulated by breeding and/or biotechnological methods to enhance crop protection and product quality. In cultivated carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) several out of the most important volatiles are mono- and sesqui-terpenes belonging to the large terpenoid group of plant metabolites, while others, then called as green leaf volatiles, are synthesized in the lipoxygenase biosynthetic pathway. Both allow targeted functional genomic approaches to develop highly specific markers for breeding of new carrot cultivars combining more efficiently resistance and traits of sensory quality. Several data sets (volatile profiles) have been produced by analytical-biochemical methods such as GC-MS for a series of carrot cultivars and breeding accessions and will be extended by further analytical methods such as GC-TOFMS and HPLC. Bioinformatic sequence analyses and candidate gene mining will be performed on Daucus genomic databases generated by NGS (next generation sequencing). Since knowledge on inter- and intraspecific variation of structure and expression of candidate key genes from most important biosynthetic pathways might be used in future for breeding specific Daucus chemotypes, selected members of terpene synthase and lipoxygenase gene families will be studied by PCR-based cloning and (re-)sequencing in a panel of selected carrot genotypes. Knowledge of functional allelic diversity of identified key genes will be used for the development of functional flavour and stress markers which could be used for marker assisted carrot breeding and molecular characterizations of Daucus biodiversity.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Crop Protection
- Vegetable Gardening
- Biotechnology
- Genetic Resources
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Breeding Research on Horticultural Crops (JKI-ZG)
