Plant & Animal Genomes XI Conference

January 11-15, 2003
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Poster: Genome Sequencing & ESTs
            

CHARACTERIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF GENE EXPRESSION DURING THE BERRY DEVELOPMENT AND FOLLOWING INFECTION WITH A NECROTROPHIC FUNGAL PATHOGEN FUNGIC PATHOGEN IN GRAPEVINE (Vitis vinifera L.)

¹ Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Casilla 110-V, Valparaíso, Chile

² Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile

³ Instituto de Investigación Agropecuaria, Centro Regional de Investigación La Platina, Casilla 439-3, Santiago, Chile

⁴ Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Avda. B. O´Higgins 3363, Santiago, Chile

⁵ Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Casilla 1004, Santiago Chile

This project is part of the Chilean Genome Initiative which is soported by the Chilean government and the Inter American Bank through the Chilean Comission for Science and Technology (CONICYT). The aims of the Chilean Genome Initiative are to boost private and public investments in genomics and bioinformatics in order to improve the competitiveness of agricultural and mining exports. This study is planning to sequence gene fragments (ESTs) of fruit-associated tissues involved in seed formation and plant defense response against the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Grapevines varieties used in Chile for table grape production (Thompson seedless) and wine (Carmenère) will be used. While physiological events such as xylem disrupture, colour change and sugar accumulation are well studied, little information is available about the global gene expression profile related to seed formation, fruit ripening or defense mechanism against pathogens. EST clones isolated from cDNA libraries obtained from different seed developmental as well as fruit ripening states from both cultivars are been sequenced and categorised based on their homology and grouped into functional categories. Preliminary analysis will be discussed. This work is being also supported by the Chilean Association of Exporters (ASOEX), Foundation for Fresh Fruit Development (FDF) and Fundación Chile.