fbpx
Print this page
Tuesday, 02 October 2012 10:27

‘Surprising’ differences in apple, pear

Written by 

Analysis of the genome sequence has shown pears have some surprising differences to apple at the DNA level.

The European pear genome - sequenced by scientists at Plant & Food Research in New Zealand and the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige (IASMA) in Italy – has 600 million base pairs of DNA encoding around 51,000 genes on 17 chromosomes.

By comparison, apple has 25% more DNA (750 million base pairs) with 57,000 genes on the same number of chromosomes. Many of the differences between the two correspond to areas of the genome that switch genes on or off.

"In ancient Greece, pears were lauded by the poet Homer as the 'gift of the gods', thanks to their melting texture and the unmistakeable aromatic pear flavour," says Dr David Chagne, the leader of the project.

"We hope that by sequencing the genome of the European pear, with its melting flesh and wonderful flavours, and comparing it with the genome sequence of apple and Asian pears, which tend to be crisper, we will be able to identify how flesh texture in these fruits is controlled.

"Ultimately, this will allow us to develop tools to speed up the breeding of new varieties of pear with novel combinations of texture and flavours."

Most surprising to the science team was that the number of genes controlling texture, which was expected to be higher in pears due to the way the flesh melts in the mouth, were the same as that of apple. However, the research showed that in pears one family of these genes in particular, known as expansins, was significantly more active.

Dr Sue Gardiner, the leader of Plant & Food Research's Breeding Technologies Group, believes the project is one of the fastest genome sequencing projects undertaken so far, taking only two years from inception to completion.

"This genome sequence project was led by scientists at Plant & Food Research, and the hard work and strong collaboration between all the scientists involved, both in Italy and New Zealand, has meant the sequence has taken much less time to deliver than other genome sequencing projects," she says.

Apples and pears evolved from a common ancestor around 35-50 million years ago, about 20 million years after this ancestor diverged from other fruits in the same family, such as strawberries and peaches.

This divergence from other members of the Rosaceae family was caused by a duplication of the genome and corresponds to an era of major evolutionary activity, thought to be a genetic survival response to an event that caused the extinction of many species, including the dinosaurs.

Gardiner is presenting the findings of the research at the Rosaceous Genomics Conference at IASMA in Trento, Italy this week.

More like this

Genetics focus boosts herd

A strong focus on genetics and DNA has paid dividends for Fernside dairy farmer Julie Bradshaw with four of her cows being selected for the LIC breeding programme.

Tech a game changer for co-op

Fonterra's latest piece of technology could be a gamechanger and the co-operative says it’s already playing a key part in its strategic choices.

Tyre app

Setting tyre pressures correctly, even for a humble farm tractor, is important for reducing compaction, precluding shallow ruts in difficult conditions and cutting fuel consumption.

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…