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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #84660
Title: SEEKING IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES FOR THE POTATO: ETHIONINE- RESISTANT PROTOCLONES

Author
item LANGILLE, ALAN - UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
item LAN, YU - JACKSON LABORATORY
item Gustine, David

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: While the potato is not generally thought to be a dietary protein source, this will undoubtedly change in the near future. Scientists are developing genetically engineered potatoes having much higher protein content and increased nutritionally important amino acid levels. Scientists at the University of Maine and USDA used cultured cells of potato and an amino acid analog, ethionine, to select cells from a culture with higher levels of methionine. Plants regenerated from those cells will provide the jump- start needed for achieving the goal of a nutritionally improved potato.

Technical Abstract: 'Russet Burbank' leaf protoplasts were cultured in Shepard's (1980) cell layer (CL) media containing the amino acid analog, ethionine (ETN), at concentrations ranging from 0 to 6 uM. Repeated counts of viable cells and dividing colonies during the 21 day incubation period permitted calculation of plating efficiencies for each ETN concentration. Plating efficiency was sobserved to decrease when ETN concentration in CL exceeded 3 uM. Calli which developed were placed on Shepard's (1980) C media containing ETN concentrations up to 200 uM; however, few calli survived concentrations above 100 uM. Regenerated plants were grown to maturity and resulting tubers were analyzed for free methionine content. Selected protoclones produced tubers with free methionine content as much as 2.66 times that of the Russet Burbank control.