26 July 2001
Nature 412, 368 (2001) © Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
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International body aims to unpeel the banana genome
URL: http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v412/n6845/full/412368a0_fs.html
Date accessed: 9 October 2001
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Nature 412, 368 (2001) © Macmillan Publishers Ltd. |
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International body aims to unpeel the
banana genome
[ROME]
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AP |
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Fruitful work:
sequencing the banana genome may lead to disease-resistant varieties. |
The genome of the main ancestral species of banana could be sequenced within five years, according to plans announced last week by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.
Bananas are one of the developing world's most important crops, but because almost 90% are produced by small farmers and consumed locally, they have benefited little from advances in crop science. The genome data, which will be made available free of charge to non-commercial interests, will help to identify genes involved in disease and pest resistance, and delayed ripening.
The banana is also of interest because it has undergone between 6,000 and 8,000 years of celibacy since the original founder species were bred. Bananas reproduce asexually so, apart from random mutations, the fruit's genetic make-up has remained unchanged. By comparing wild and cultivated strains, geneticists hope to discover how these mutations have helped wild varieties to adapt to pests and diseases.
Category: 32. Genome Project and Genomics
