Frageria vesca, a useful tool for Rosaceae Genomics

Authors: RABINOWICZ, PABLO - TIGR,ROCKVILLE MD; Slovin, Janet

Submitted to: North American Strawberry Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/25/2007
Publication Date: 3/11/2008
Citation: Rabinowicz, P.D., Slovin, J.P. 2008. Frageria vesca, a useful tool for Rosaceae Genomics. North American Strawberry Conference Proceedings. Page 112.

Interpretive Summary: The woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca forma semperflorens, has many characteristics that make it an ideal plant for strawberry research. In particular the plant is easier to manipulate in genetic experiments than is the cultivated strawberry, yet the results obtain with this simple plant will transfer directly to the more complex cultivated strawberry. These results may also transfer to other plants related to strawberry, such as apples, pears, peaches and cherries. A brief review of some of the tools available for using this plant as a reference for studying gene function is presented together with some results of tests of the response of the woodland strawberry plants to increases in temperature and salinity. Temperature and salinity are examples of environmental stresses that affect fruit production. These results are important for scientists using modern genetic approaches to identify the functions of genes, and to develop genetic markers for breeding more stress tolerant plants.

Technical Abstract: The diploid woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca subsp. vesca forma semperflorens, has many characteristics that make it an ideal plant for strawberry genomics research. A brief review of some of the tools available for using this plant as a reference for studying gene function in strawberry and other members of the Rosaceae family is presented. Two inbred lines, Yellow Wonder 5AF7 and Ruegen F7-4, are being used to identify the genes expressed in strawberry in response abiotic stresses, in particular to chronic mildly- elevated temperatures and to increased salinity. Cold treatment of imbibed seeds results in more synchronous germination for physiological assays. Growth of synchronously germinated seedlings on the surface of vertical agar plates was used for measuring the effects of increased NaCl on root growth. This technique also allowed for easy harvesting of aseptic plant material with root hairs intact for construction of cDNA libraries. A large number of transcript assemblies from approximately 9,500 cold-stressed seedling ESTs from the F. vesca line Hawaii-4 could be assigned to the GO slim signal transduction category. However, many of the assemblies had unknown functions. The importance of collaborative research and increased funding for Fragaria genomics is also discussed.