Understanding the Genomic Modifications in Transgenic Papaya
Published:16 May2022 Source:Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The transgenic papaya "SunUp" was developed in the 1990s and was widely publicized because of its ability to resist the papaya ringspot virus. Although researchers from the Ming group had identified the genomic sequence of SunUp by 2008, it was unclear where the transgenic insertions were and what effect they had. A new study has now identified these changes and how they influence the transgenic plants.
Papaya fruits are a rich source of potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C, propelling a steady increase in their global production. Papaya originated and was domesticated in southern Mexico and Central America, and is now cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Wild papaya has small seedy fruits with very little edible flesh, while the domesticated version can weigh more than five pounds. However, there was one major problem: Papaya was susceptible to the papaya ringspot virus, resulting in stunted plants that do not produce mature fruit, and there is no resistance in the papaya genetic code.