| Abstract Detail
Pepper - Afternoon Moore Fellman, Shanna [1], Stellari, Giulia [2], Garces Claver, Ana [3], Arnedo Andres, Marisol [3], Jahn, Molly [1]. Cloning and characterization of a gene duplication with implications in the evolution of pungency in peppers (text Capsicumtext spp.). THE diversity of plant secondary metabolites is astounding, with broad implications for humankind. The study of these compounds is often hampered by their limited production and taxonomic isolation. Pungency, or heat, in pepper pods is due to the presence of capsaicinoids, and is thought to be a trait unique to the genus Capsicum. Besides obvious uses in food and spice, capsaicin and its analogs are also widely used as an organic pest deterrent and in medicine to treat cancer and an array of neurological, digestive and bladder disorders. Recent research has resulted in major breakthroughs in understanding the biosynthesis underlying capsaicinoid production, including the identification of Pun1 , a single recessive gene epistatic to all other genes controlling pungency. We now have evidence of a duplication of Pun1 (a novel acyltransferase also known as AT3 ) within the Capsicum genome. By comparing the sequence and expression patterns of these two loci (AT3-1, AT3-2 ) in Capsicum , and within the broader context of the Solanaceae, we have the opportunity to examine the mechanisms by which novel biosynthetic capacities evolve in plants within a distinct, well-defined clade in a family with excellent genomic and biochemical resources.
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1 - Cornell University, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
2 - Cornell University, Plant Biology, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
3 - Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Unidad de Tecnología en Producción Vegetal, Apartado 727, Zaragoza, 50080, Spain
Keywords:
Capsicum
Pun1
AT3
phylogeny
gene duplication.
Session: SAT08-4
Location: Hall of Ideas Room H/Monona Terrace
Date: Wednesday, July 26th, 2006
Time: 2:30 PM
Abstract ID:51 |
