Research Team: "Hybridization with Tomato Led to Potato's Birth"
Tuber Formation Enabled Survival and Spread in Harsh Environments
The mystery surrounding the potato, one of the world's most important crops, has been solved. A new study has found that potatoes originated from a natural hybridization between tomatoes and a wild potato-like plant about 9 million years ago.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on July 31 (local time) that an international research team led by Dr. Huang Sanwen of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has uncovered the origins of the potato.
The research involved the Natural History Museum in London, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the Shenzhen Institute of Agricultural Genomics at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, among others. The findings were published in the scientific journal Cell.
The potato, a staple crop with annual production exceeding 350 million tons, was first cultivated in the Andes Mountains about 10,000 years ago. However, for a long time, it remained unclear which plants the potato originated from before that period.
The research team analyzed the genomes of 450 cultivated potato varieties and 56 wild potato species. They confirmed that the potato arose in South America through natural hybridization between a tuberless plant called Etuberosum and the tomato. These two plants diverged from a common ancestor about 14 million years ago, and for about 5 million years after that, they were still able to interbreed.
According to the study, the key trait of tuber formation in potatoes originated from the combination of genes from both lineages. The SP6A gene, which determines the timing of tuber formation, came from the tomato, while the IT1 gene, which is involved in actual root development, originated from Etuberosum. If either of these genes is missing, the potato cannot form.
Additionally, the research team explained that potatoes evolved during the uplift of the Andes Mountains, and their ability to store nutrients in tubers allowed them to survive in the harsh environments of high altitudes. Potatoes can also regrow from the eyes of tubers without seeds, enabling them to spread rapidly in various environments.
Dr. Huang stated, "The evolution of the potato is an example of how natural hybridization can create new traits and species diversity," adding, "The genetic diversity of today's potatoes is also the result of this process."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
