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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Sugarbeet and Potato Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #193870
Title: EFFECTS OF WOUNDING ON TUBER ABA CONTENT AND EXPRESSION OF GENES INVOLVED IN ABA BIOSYNTHESIS AND METABOLISM.

Author
item Suttle, Jeffrey
item Lulai, Edward
item Destefano Beltran, Luis

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2006
Publication Date: 7/1/2006
Citation: Suttle, J.C., Lulai, E.C., Destefano Beltran, L.J. 2006. Effects of wounding on tuber ABA content and expression of genes involved in ABA biosynthesis and metabolism [abstract.] Potato Association of America/Solanacae 2006 Program & Abstracts. Abstract No. 308. p.209.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Potato tubers incur significant damage during seed cutting, harvest and handling. Physical damage initiates numerous physiological and biochemical changes in tubers that ultimately result in wound-healing. Incomplete wound-healing can result in significant loss of postharvest market and processing qualities with serious economic consequences for producers. Research from this lab is directed towards the identification of endogenous factors affecting tuber wound-healing. Wounding of many plant tissues results in increased abscisic acid (ABA) content and ABA is thought to regulate several wound-related responses. The role of ABA in tuber wound-healing is uncertain. Following wounding, the ABA content of dormant tubers remained unchanged for at least 6 hr, rose to a maximum after 24 hr, and remained elevated for at least a further 72 hr. Non-dormant tubers exhibited a similar but much-attenuated pattern of wound-induced ABA accumulation. Application of the carotenoid biosynthesis inhibitor fluridone immediately after wounding completely inhibited the increase in ABA content; demonstrating that de novo synthesis of ABA was induced by wounding. Gene sequences encoding key enzymes involved in ABA biosynthesis and metabolism have been isolated and characterized from tuber tissues. Using qRT-PCR, the effects of wounding on the expression of these potentially regulatory genes have been determined and will be discussed.