New UK potato varieties with late blight and potato cyst nematode resistance, reduced bruising and improved processing quality

Potatoes are an extremely important UK and world crop with a key role in world food security. However yields, and suitability for processing and consumption, are much reduced by several shortcomings in currently available varieties. Susceptibility to many diseases and pests, particularly late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans (cause of the Irish potato famine) and root damage caused by potato cyst nematodes, are major problems. Storing potatoes in cool conditions elevates levels of reducing sugars (cold-induced sweetening), resulting (in lines with high levels of the amino acid asparagine) in potentially health-damaging acrylamide production after frying or roasting. Potatoes are also susceptible to blackening upon bruising, resulting in considerable waste, raising costs to consumers. Plant disease resistance genes function by detecting molecules from a pathogen and then activating defence mechanisms. Although potatoes carry 100s of resistance genes, cultivated varieties lack those enabling it to detect and defeat the late blight (LB) organism. Fortunately, some wild species of potato show resistance to LB, and we have tracked down and isolated LB resistance genes from some of these relatives. Such genes can then be introduced into potato using GM methods, resulting in varieties with effective resistance. To ensure this resistance is long lasting, in this project we aim to combine three different LB resistance genes, to make it more difficult for the LB pathogen to by-pass this protection. When potatoes are stored in cool conditions, they can accumulate high levels of reducing sugars such as glucose, and also high levels of asparagine. During frying, these are converted to a toxic molecule called acrylamide. By silencing two plant genes (invertase and asparagine synthetase) specifically in tubers, the American company Simplot has reduced levels of glucose and asparagine in tubers, resulting in lower acrylamide and less blackening upon frying. The browning that results upon bruising is caused by the interaction of an enzyme (PPO) with cellular phenolic compounds. Again, using silencing, Simplot have achieved lower PPO levels specifically in tubers and reduced susceptibility of tubers to bruising damage. Simplot are in advanced stages of commercialising potato varieties with these low acrylamide and bruise control genes (LABC) traits in the US. Researchers in U. Leeds have engineered potatoes with roots that express proteins that inhibit PCN. One is a small peptide that interferes with the PCN nervous system. The other is an inhibitor of a protease used by the nematode to colonize the plant root. In combination, these proteins can greatly reduce losses to nematodes even on heavily infested land. In this project we aim to combine these traits in the popular potato varieties Maris Piper and Agria. We will engineer the three genes for LB resistance on one T-DNA, linked to a plant gene selectable marker for transformation, and test efficacy in the field. We will also combine LB resistance genes with LABC genes and test in the field, and finally we will combine LB resistance and LABC with PCN resistance genes and test in the field. In partnership with Simplot, we will produce at least 100 plants for each construct and screen them for lines that carry simple DNA inserts and for functionality of all the genes that were delivered. The goal is to select plant lines that are suitable for subsequent commercialization. During these experiments, we will also generate very useful information about the efficiency with which multiple genes (in our case, up to 9 genes) can be delivered in one event, and still all function. This information will be useful to others setting out to simultaneously deliver multiple useful genes by GM methods in other crops.