Abstract Detail
Metabolism Shim, Youn-Seb [1], Garabagi, Frey [2], Pauls, K. Peter [2]. Developing biotechnological tools to select beans with enhanced folic acid levels. Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are an excellent source of dietary folic acid (Vitamin B) but levels of this compound can vary more than 3 fold among varieties. Folate deficiency is one of the world’s most common human nutrition problems because humans and other mammals lack a complete folate synthesis pathway and thus need dietary folate. Folate plays an important role in preventing neural tube disorders in newborns as well as helping to prevent heart disease and cancer. Fragments of six genes of the central folic acid synthesis pathway in Phaseolus were cloned and sequenced. The sequences were compared to known sequences from other plant species to confirm their identity. The activities of the folic acid synthesis genes in developing seeds of 10 bean varieties will be measured by RT- PCR and the folate levels in their dry seeds will be assayed by HPLC. This data will be used to identify correlations between gene expression and folate content in bean seeds. This information may allow the development of new tools for the selection of high folate beans.
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1 - University of Guelph, Plant Agriculture, Crop science, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
2 - University of Guelph, Plant Agriculture
Keywords:
Folic acid
gene expression
Phaseolus vulgaris.
Presentation Type: Plant Biology Abstract
Session: P
Location: Exhibit Hall (Northeast, Southwest & Southeast)/Hilton
Date: Sunday, July 8th, 2007
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: P19032
Abstract ID:1356 | 