Project Number: 1265-21000-140-02
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 26, 2003
End Date: Sep 25, 2008

Objective:
The goal is to increase nutritional quality and genetic resistance to post-harvest pathogens in potatoes and tomatoes. Particular emphasis is on analyzing gene expression profiles under storage conditions that prevent ethylene sensing and improve quality and storability.

Approach:
Ethylene sensing will be disrupted by using low oxygen environment and/or inhibitors such as 1-methyl cyclopropane (MCP). The expression of genes encoding enzymes responsible for accumulation of antioxidants will be analyzed by northern blots. Transgenic plants developed to resist post-harvest pathogens wil lalso be analyzed for metabolite profiling. Gene epression will be analyzed and key genes cloned. Potato germplasm with increased levels of micronutrient clcium will be analyzed for carbohydrate and enzyme components using HPLC and other assays.