Poster: Photomorphogenesis

Abs # 507: The effects of blue light on potato tuberization

Presenter:	Goeden, Kathryn R, goed0028@umn.edu
Authors	Goeden, Kathryn R (A)   Tong, Cindy B. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): University of Minnesota Department of Horticulture

In order to determine the effects of light quality on potato tuberization, tissue-cultured plantlets of ‘Norland’ and ‘Désirée’ varieties were exposed to no light and continuous white, red, far-red, and blue light. No light and continuous white, red, and far-red light produced microtubers in both varieties. However, under the blue light, ‘Désirée’ plantlets produced microtubers whereas ‘Norland’ plantlets formed only callus. This response will be quantified by ascertaining variation within the tissue-cultured population. Self-crosses within each variety as well as crosses between the two varieties will be conducted in order to establish the dominancy of this trait and to look for complimentation. In order to determine what causes this differential response, the genetic sequence of the blue-light receptor cryptochrome has been cloned and will be compared in the two varieties. If the receptor regions for cryptochrome differ in their sequences, ‘Norland’ plants will be transformed with the ‘Désirée’ gene and exposed to blue light in order to determine the significance of non-homologous regions. In this way, the causes of this differential response will be characterized.