SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE OF INTROGRESSION OF EXOTIC GENES
4. PERÚ
B. SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE OF INTROGRESSION OF EXOTIC GENES IN LANDRACES AND WILD RELATIVES OF THE CULTIVATED POTATOES
The future cultivation of transgenic potatoes in the Andes raises the concern of the possible presence of transgenes into the indigenous potato germplasm. Previous research publications have shown that such event could happen. However, many unknowns persist to be able to estimate the real frequency of such gene flow. Hence, we propose here to assess the likelihood of such introgression event by looking backwards. Indeed, we hypothesize that the introduction in the Andean agro-ecosystem of improved varieties bred with non-Andean germplasm may have, through gene flow, changed the original or native gene pool of native potato cultivars grown in the same or nearby fields, and also of wild species that are sexually compatible. We will therefore make an inventory of landraces and wild relatives that are commonly found at proximity of fields with commercial potato production in Peru. Leaf samples of these native potatoes will be tested for putative parentage with the commercial potato variety by using co-dominant DNA markers. Putative hybrids will then be tested for the presence of exotic genes or alleles by using probes or primers of private alleles of the Chilotanum Group of the cultivated potato S. tuberosum and wild species such as Solanum demissum. We expect this research to provide a realistic estimate of the gene flow frequency from improved varieties to native and wild relatives grown in the Andes.
Contacto: Dr. Marc Ghislain - CENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE LA PAPA – CIP
E-mail: m.ghislain@cgiar.org
