ARS | Publication request: Physical structure of an endopolygalacturonase locus in peach

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 15, 2006
Publication Date: January 13, 2007
Citation: Callahan, A.M., Zhebentyayeva, T.N., Peace, C.P. 2007. Physical structure of an endopolygalacturonase locus in peach. Plant and Animal Genome Conference, January 13-17, 2007, San Diego, California. 220 p.

Technical Abstract: The melting flesh trait and the freestone trait are genetically linked to the same single locus in peach. Several studies have associated an endopolygalacturonase gene with this locus, either a deletion of endopolygalacturonase associated with the non-melting/clingstone phenotype or changes in the sequence of the gene or the size of the mRNA associated with each phenotype. To further understand the role of endopolygalacturonase in generating each phenotype, the physical structure of that locus was investigated. BAC clones from two different peach cultivars, one with a freestone, melting flesh phenotype and the other with a clingstone, melting flesh phenotype, were screened with the endopolygalacturonase cDNA from ripening peach fruit. These BACs were fingerprinted and organized into four groups based on those fingerprints. The BACs were also used as templates for PCR with a number of endopolygalacturonase primers. DNA blot hybridizations were performed with the BACs and the endopolygalacturonase cDNA probe. Two BAC clones, one from each of the cultivars and each containing at least part of three different endopolygalacturonase genes, were chosen to sequence. The results of the BAC analyses suggest that there are multiple endopolygalacturonase genes at a single locus. Further research is in progress to determine if those endopolygalacturonase genes have different roles.