14 DAY TRIAL // A team of investigators led by Italian scientists recently managed to reach an impressive milestone in genetic sciences, when they created the first complete genome of the apple species Golden Delicious.
The achievement comes from the same team that managed to release the complete genome sequence of grapevine some four years ago. The research group is based in Trento, Italy, at the E. Mach Foundation.
The new research effort lasted for no less than two years, and it represents a collaboration of some 85 scientists around the world. About 18 institutions were involved in the study, AlphaGalileo reports.
The results were published online yesterday, August 29, in the current online issue of the esteemed scientific journal Nature Genetics.
As time unfolded, between 2008 and 2009, the group managed to produce apple DNA sequences numbering at around 13 billion sequenced nucleotides.
Throughout 2009 and the better part of this year, scientists arranged the nucleotides into shape, producing the apple genome. All of the sequences were neatly folded and places into the 17 chromosomes that apples have.
According to the researchers, some 90 percent of all genes apple have are anchored to a very precise position in the chromosomes. Starting today, August 30, all these data will be made available through public databases.
Funds for this line of study came mostly from the Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy. Additional funding was secured from the WSU Agricultural Research Center, the USDA/NRI, in the US, and New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology.
The investigation included experts from the Myriad Genetics Inc., Amplicon Express, Pullman, Washington State University, University of Washington in Seattle and the universities of Padua and Milan, in Italy.
One of the most interesting findings made throughout the new research is that the apple was domesticated some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.
By analyzing the 742,3 million nucleotides the fruits' genomes contain, the researchers were also able to determine that apples underwent what is known as duplication more than 50 million years ago.
At that time, the total number of chromosomes the plant had nearly doubled, jumping from 9 to 17. Even now, with its 57,000 genes, the apple is the most genetically-complex plant known.
The team says that more than 992 of these genes are responsible for promoting resistance against infection, stressing that this may be used to boost yields in the future, or to create more disease-resistant species.