Chapters authored
Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Vernalization in Brassicaceae
A wide variation of morphological traits exists in Brassica rapa L. and Brassica oleracea L., and cultivated vegetable varieties of these species are consumed worldwide. Flowering time is an important agronomic trait in these species and varies among varieties or cultivars. Especially, leafy vegetable species need a high bolting resistance. Isolation of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), one of the key genes involved in vernalization, has now provided an insight into the molecular mechanism involved in the regulation of flowering time, including the role of histone modification. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, FLC plays an important role in modulating flowering time. The response to vernalization causes an increase in histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3) that leads to reduced expression of the FLC gene. B. rapa and B. oleracea both contain several paralogs of FLC at syntenic regions identified as major flowering time and vernalization response quantitative trait loci (QTL). We introduce the recent research, not only in A. thaliana, but also in the genus Brassica from a genetic and epigenetic view point.
Part of the book: Brassica Germplasm
Breeding for Disease Resistance in Brassica Vegetables Using DNA Marker Selection
The Brassica genus comprises of agro-economically important vegetables. Disease causes great yield loss of Brassica vegetables worldwide. Different traditional methods such as crop rotation and chemical control have limited effect on different diseases of Brassica vegetables and cannot completely eradicate the pathogens by these methods. Development of disease resistant cultivars is one of the most effective, ecofriendly, and cheapest measure to control Brassica diseases. With the development of genomics, molecular biology techniques, and biological methods, it is possible to discover and introduce resistance (R) genes to efficiently control the plant diseases caused by pathogens. Some R genes of major diseases such as Fusarium wilt and clubroot in Brassica vegetables have been already identified. Therefore, we will focus to review the Fusarium wilt and clubroot resistance in Brassica vegetables and the methodologies for identification, mapping, and pyramiding of R genes/quantitative trait loci (QTLs) to develop disease resistant cultivars. These techniques will be helpful for sustainable crop production and to maintain global food security and contribute to ensure protection of food supply in the Asian country as well as throughout the world.
Part of the book: Brassica Breeding and Biotechnology