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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #123900
Title: CLONING AND SEQUENCING DEHYDRATION ALLELES FROM COLD-SENSITIVE AND COLD-TOLERANT PARENT PLANTS OF BLUEBERRY MAPPING POPULATION

Author
item MEHRA, S. - VISITING SCIENTIST
item PANTA, G. - UNIV TENN DEPT PHARMACOL
item Rowland, Lisa

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2001
Publication Date: 8/20/2001
Citation: Mehra, S., Panta, G.R., Rowland, L.J. 2001. Cloning and sequencing dehydration alleles from cold-sensitive and cold-tolerant parent plants of blueberry mapping population. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Studies of herbaceous plants suggest that cold hardiness is a complex, quantitatively inherited trait. Although development of cold hardiness is an integral part of the life cycle of woody perennial plants, studies on its genetic control in woody perennials are scarce. A better understanding of its genetic control would be valuable for developing more effective strategies to increase cold hardiness and, hence, climatic adaptation of woody perennial crops. In blueberry, we have previously shown that three major dehydrins of 65, 60, and 14 kDa increase with cold acclimation and decrease with deacclimation. A comparison of these dehydrin levels among various blueberry cultivars and selections has revealed their level of accumulation to be closely associated with cold hardiness level. Efforts are underway to isolate and map the dehydrin genes of blueberry utilizing populations that segregate for cold hardiness in order to determine if the dehydrin genes map to or cosegregate with QTLs controlling cold hardiness. A 2.0 kb cDNA, which encodes the 60 kDa dehydrin from blueberry, has been cloned and sequenced. Here, we report using the DNA sequence of the cDNA clone to design primers to amplify and clone alleles of two dehydrin-related genes from the cold sensitive and cold tolerant parent plants of the blueberry mapping population. The alleles have been sequenced and primers based on the regions showing differences are being used to attempt amplifying polymorphic fragments for mapping purposes.