ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF A TUBERIZATION-RELATED CDNA CLONE FROM POTATO (SOLANUM-TUBEROSUM L)

A cDNA clone of a gene which shows a large increase in transcript level in the stolon tip during the early stages of tuberisation in potato (Solanum tuberosum) has been isolated by differential screening. This gene is also expressed at low levels in other parts of the plant including leaves and stems. Sequence analysis and comparison did not reveal any significant similarity with other gene sequences in the EMBL database. DNA-blot analysis indicates that the gene is present as a single copy in the potato genome and a restriction fragment length polymorphism exists between wild type and cultivated potatoes.