INTA sows the first potatoes that do not oxidize

Polyphenol oxidases (PPO) are responsible for the process known as enzymatic browning - they alter the color, taste and texture of the tuber.

They are what catalyze the conversion of phenolic substrates into quinones, which leads to the formation of dark precipitates in fruits and vegetables, cause undesirable changes in organoleptic properties and influence the loss of nutritional quality.

In a work published recently in Frontiers in Plant Science, scientists from Argentina and Sweden reported the results of the research that consisted in the edition of a polyphenol oxidase gene in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), which express mostly in tuber.

After successfully editing that gene, they obtained tubers free of enzymatic browning.

In potato, oxidized polyphenol enzymes are encoded by a gene family with different expression patterns in the plant. As stated in the publication, the 'results show that the CRISPR / Cas9 system can be applied to develop transgene-free [non-GMO] potato varieties with reduced enzymatic browning in tubers, through the specific edition of a single member of the gene family'.
 

Polyphenol oxidases (PPO) are responsible for the process known as enzymatic browning - they alter the color, taste and texture of the tuber.

Sergio Feingold, Director of the Agrobiotechnology Laboratory of INTA Balcarce:
 

“The sowing tests will allow the plants to multiply to test the campaign that comes with the objective of generating data to register the variety in the INASE.”

In addition, in the field trial they will observe the selected lines in the context of normal production, allowing researchers to analyze other morphological aspects of the plants obtained.

In a large number of the potato lines they obtained, it was confirmed that the gene was affected in the four alleles.

Matias Gonzalez, PhD student of Conicet working at INTA Balcarce:
 

“Since the potato is tetraploid, that is, it has four copies of each of its genes, it is necessary to inactivate all copies of the gene to obtain the desired phenotype.”