Impact of cultivar, growth temperature and developmental stage on phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid in purple and yellow potato tubers.

Phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid were analyzed in one yellow and four purple-flesh potato cultivars grown at 13 °C and 18 °C and harvested at different stages of tuber development, using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS. The expression of genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway was studied at transcription level using qPCR. Petunidin-3-p-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in 'Blue Congo', 'Blaue Schweden', and 'Synkeä Sakari', whereas malvidin-3-p-coumaroylrutinoside-5-glucoside dominated in 'Blaue Veltlin'.

Improved analysis of anthocyanins and vitamin C in blue-purple potato cultivars.

Methods were optimized for extraction and quantification of anthocyanins (ACY) and vitamin C in potatoes. Acidified aqueous methanol (70%) was the optimal extraction solvent and freeze-drying significantly improved the extraction yield of ACY. The content of ACY varied widely in five potato cultivars from 0.

Comparison of the postprandial effects of purple-fleshed and yellow-fleshed potatoes in healthy males with chemical characterization of the potato meals.

The aim of the current study was to characterize the anthocyanin content and composition of a purple potato landrace cultivar (Solanum tuberosum 'Synkeä Sakari') and to compare the postprandial effects of purple-fleshed potatoes, yellow-fleshed potatoes and bilberries in potato starch on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in healthy males. The purple potato meal caused smaller insulinemia than the yellow potato meal (iAUC 120 min 1347 and 2226, respectively, p = 0.012 and iAUC 240 min 1448 and 2403, p = 0.

Triacylglycerol biosynthesis in developing Ribes nigrum and Ribes rubrum seeds from gene expression to oil composition.

Oils with sufficient contents of fatty acids, which can be metabolized into precursors of anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, have potential health effects. Ribes sp. seed oil is rich in α-linolenic, γ-linolenic and stearidonic acids belonging to this fatty acid group.

NMR metabolomics of ripened and developing oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and turnip rape (Brassica rapa).

The oilseeds of the commercially important oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and turnip rape (Brassica rapa) were investigated with (1)H NMR metabolomics. The compositions of ripened (cultivated in field trials) and developing seeds (cultivated in controlled conditions) were compared in multivariate models using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Differences in the major lipids and the minor metabolites between the two species were found.

Coordinate changes in gene expression and triacylglycerol composition in the developing seeds of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and turnip rape (Brassica rapa).

Crop production for vegetable oil in the northern latitudes utilises oilseed rape (Brassica napus subsp. oleifera) and turnip rape (B. rapa subsp.

Modification of Tobacco rattle virus RNA1 to serve as a VIGS vector reveals that the 29K movement protein is an RNA silencing suppressor of the virus.

Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) has a bipartite, positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and is widely used for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in plants. RNA1 of TRV that lacks the gene for the cysteine-rich 16K silencing-suppression protein infects plants systemically in the absence of RNA2. Here, we attempted to engineer RNA1 for use as a VIGS vector by inserting heterologous gene fragments to replace 16K.

Biolistic DNA delivery to leaf tissue of plants with the non-vacuum gene gun (HandyGun).

Non-vacuum gene guns such as HandyGun are flexible tools for bombardment of targets of varying size. Construction of HandyGun is simpler and cheaper than vacuum gene guns and will be described here. The conditions for maximal transient transformation efficiency of plant cells with plasmid DNA using HandyGun will be provided.

Why do viruses need phloem for systemic invasion of plants?

Plant viruses use sieve elements in phloem as the route of long-distance movement and systemic infection in plants. Plants, in turn, deploy RNA silencing, R-gene mediated defence and other mechanisms to prevent phloem transport of viruses. Cell-to-cell movement of viruses from an initially infected leaf to stem and other parts of the plant could be another possibility for systemic invasion, but it is considered to be too slow.

HandyGun: An improved custom-designed, non-vacuum gene gun suitable for virus inoculation.

Particle bombardment with a non-vacuum gene gun is an efficient method for transfection of plant cells with cloned viruses and initiation of virus infection. The HandyGun developed in this study is an improved version of a non-vacuum gene gun. Bombardment parameters were studied by inoculating an infectious, 35S promoter-driven cDNA of Potato virus A (PVA; Potyvirus) to the potato clone 'A6', Nicotiana benthamiana and N.