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Science News for June 28, 2008


Drought tolerance in potatoes

Researchers have identified approximately 2000 genes that contribute to the increased drought tolerance of two Andean potato clones. The study found up-regulated genes involved in osmotic adjustment, detoxification, and cell communication and signaling, as well as increased solute concentrations to induce water uptake from drying soils.

Evolution of fruit size in tomato

Researchers have identified two key loci responsible for extreme fruit size in tomatoes, including the fas locus that controls cell division and the locule-number locus that affects carpel number. This study provides a significant breakthrough in understanding tomato domestication and opens up new avenues for crop improvement.

The 21st century tomato

Researchers have made significant progress in understanding the complex metabolic networks involved in tomato fruit development. By analyzing over 1200 quantitative metabolic loci (QMLs), scientists identified associations between metabolites and genes that regulate fruit metabolism. This knowledge can be used to alter metabolic pathwa...