Deciphering Carotenoid and Flowering Pathway Gene Variations in Eastern and Western Carrots ( L.).

Background/objectives: Carrot is a major root vegetable in the owing to its abundant carotenoids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. The modern dark orange western carrot was derived from sequential domestication events from the white-rooted wild form to the pale orange-, purple-, or yellow-rooted eastern carrot. Genetic and molecular studies between eastern and western carrots are meager despite their evolutionary relatedness.

Comparative Root Transcriptome Profiling and Gene Regulatory Network Analysis between Eastern and Western Carrot ( L.) Cultivars Reveals Candidate Genes for Vascular Tissue Patterning.

Carrot ( L.) is a highly consumed vegetable rich in carotenoids, known for their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-protecting properties. While genetic and molecular studies have largely focused on wild and Western carrot cultivars (cvs), little is known about the evolutionary interactions between closely related Eastern and Western cvs.