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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Potato, Pulse and Small Grains Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427648
Research Project: Improving Potato Postharvest Quality by Identifying and Manipulating Molecular Processes Regulating Tuber Dormancy and Wound-Healing

Location: Potato, Pulse and Small Grains Quality Research

Title: Tissue specific mechanisms of tuber dormancy after 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene treatment in potato

Author
item Dogramaci, Munevver
item FORTINI, EVANDRO - North Dakota State University
item OLIVEIRA, TADEU - North Dakota State University
item DIPAYAN, SARKAR - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Wyatt, Nathan
item LEONARD, ELIZABETH - Clemson University
item THARAYIL, NISHANTH - Clemson University
item FINGER, FERNANDO - Federal University Of Viçosa

Submitted to: Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/14/2026
Publication Date: 2/18/2026
Citation: Dogramaci, M., Oliveira, T., Fortini, E.A., Dipayan, S., Wyatt, N.A., Leonard, E., Tharayil, N., Finger, F. 2026. Tissue specific mechanisms of tuber dormancy after 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene treatment in potato. Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences. 12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100376.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100376

Interpretive Summary: Potato tubers are commonly placed in storage for year-around food supply. One of the major challenges in postharvest storage is premature sprouting of tubers, which affects tuber qualities and marketability. Commercial potato storage facilities usually integrate cold storage and sprout inhibiting chemicals to prevent premature sprouting. Among sprout inhibitors, 1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene (DMN), which is a naturally occurring compound derived from potato, are commercially used in potato storage. However, very little is known about the underlying mechanisms of DMN for suppressing sprout growth in potato tubers. In this research, tubers of most commonly grown potato cultivar (Russet Burbank) in the United States were treated with either single or multiple DMN applications during postharvest storage and tuber tissue samples were collected at three weeks interval following DMN treatments for molecular and phytohormone analyses. A subset of treated and untreated tubers were also monitored weekly for their sprout growth performance during storage. Results of the weekly measurement of sprout growth revealed that multiple DMN applications are needed to suppress tuber sprouting during long term storage. Transcriptome and phytohormone analyses results suggested that DMN treatment modulates critical phytohormone regulations in tuber tissues to suppress sprout growth. The outcomes of this study will help potato growers and industry to optimize the use of DMN as an effective sprout inhibitor in commercial storage.

Technical Abstract: "1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene (DMN) is gaining popularity as a postharvest sprout suppressant for potato storage. We hypothesized that DMN treatment impact critical phytohormone regulations in a tissue specific manner to suppress sprout growth of potato tubers. This study investigated transcriptional and hormonal responses in cv. 'Russet Burbank' tubers subjected to single or multiple DMN treatments during long-term storage. Tuber sprout growth was monitored during storage, and primary and secondary meristems, as well as tuber flesh tissues were collected from DMN treated and untreated tubers at three-week intervals for molecular and phytohormone analyses. Multiple DMN treatments were most effective in suppressing sprout growth up to 18 weeks in storage. Molecular responses to DMN treatments were tissue specific. Treatment of tubers with DMN altered the levels of hormones and their precursors as lower content of active forms of gibberellic acid, cytokinin, and jasmonic acid were observed in meristem tissues particularly with multiple DMN treatments. Aligning with phytohormone analyses results, multiple DMN treatments also altered the abundance of transcripts associated with abscisic acid, gibberellin, cytokinin, auxin, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethylene biosynthesis and signaling. DMN treatment impacted transcription factor families including APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR, MYELOBLASTOSIS TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR, and BASIC HELIX-LOOP-HELIX associated with dormancy maintenance. Results of this research elucidate multiple DMN applications are needed to suppress sprout growth during long-term storage, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of DMN involve tuber tissue specific alteration of phytohormone regulation related to dormancy maintenance.