Bourlaye Fofana, Ph.D.

MTA Out - AGR - 20102 - Germplasm - AAFC potato clone expressing eGFP protein transfered to Dr. Gefu Wang-Pruski (Dalhousie University)

Diploid potatoes in changing climate biotic and abiotic challenges

Effects of soil building practices on plant endophytes associated with individual rotation crops

MTA - germplasm transfer to Dr. Braulio Soto-Cerda (Chili)

Candidate genes for common scab (Streptomyces scabies) and drought resistance in potato as revealed by genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
Bourlaye Fofana, Mohsin Zaidi,, and David MAIN
Charlottetown Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4N6, Canada

*bourlaye.fofana@agr.gc.ca
Potato scab (Streptomyces scabies) is widespread in all potato growing regions, and it significantly reduces potato quality and marketability. Drought, as an abiotic stress, is a major threat to crop productivity. Currently, the genome-wide architecture of the genetic control of these two traits are limited in potato. Here, we used a genome-wide association studies on a 384 diploid potato germplasm panel to determine the potato genomic regions and the genes potentially associated with resistance to scab and drought. Here, we show that three candidate genes located in a 0.5- 5 kb genomic region of chromosome 7 are associated with scab resistance. Furthermore, two major QTNs located on chromosome 5, explained by 16 and 32% of phenotypic variations were found associated with 25 candidate genes. The data will be presented and discussed in a context of global changing climate.

Flax Genomic Workshop - Workshop organizer

Potato greening: gaining an understanding through ‘omics approaches
K. Dougherty1, T. F. Mitterboeck1*, M. Lague1, M. Zaidi2, B. Bizimungu1, and B. Fofana2. 1Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 4Z7 (e-mail:fatima.mitterboeck@agr.gc.ca); and 2Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4N6.

Potato ‘greening’ occurs when tubers are exposed to light, and results from a de novo synthesis of chlorophyll and a simultaneous formation of steroidal glycoalkaloids, which are toxic to humans and animals. Potato is the largest vegetable crop in Canada, and this greening causes substantial loss of products. Currently, there are no potato cultivars that are resistant to light–induced greening available on the market. The goal of this study is to understand the genetic components and molecular mechanisms of light-induced greening, and to use this knowledge to develop gene-editing tools to generate cultivars resistant to greening. From a core germplasm collection of over 800 mutant potato clones, two clones were observed to be tolerant to light-induced greening. These two non-greening clones, along with a greening control, underwent whole genome sequencing as well as transcriptomic sequencing after light exposure. Here, we will show our findings on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural variants (SV) that differentiate the non-greening from greening clones. Deploying the non-greening trait into popular potato cultivars would be of high interest to the industry and stakeholders both for tuber appearance, quality, safety, marketability, and food waste reduction.

Mutational Genetics In Diploid Potato In The CRISPR Era
Fofana, B.*1, A. Somalraju1, D. Main1, M. Zaidi1, B. Bizimungu2
1Charlottetown Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4N6, Canada; 2Fredeicton Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 95 Innovation Road, PO Box 20280, Fredericton, NB E3B 4Z7
Cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the fourth most consumed food crop after rice wheat and maize. Cultivated potato is a clonally propagated, autotetraploid crop species with a narrow genetic diversity. Its highly heterozygous, complex genome, and tetrasomic inheritance make its genetic studies and improvement more difficult than grain crops. Recently, diploid potato breeding has regained an interest in the potato genetics community. Genetically, diploid potatoes are easy to work with, can be used as gene donors in the breeding process of cultivated potatoes, and can also be grown on their own as varieties. However, diploid breeding continuum faces many challenges including anti-nutritional factors and self-incompatibilities. Mutations are known as the key drivers for evolution and diversification in plants. In breeding and varietal selection, sources for variation are always sought as starting materials, and in the absence of desired natural variations in breeding populations, targeted or random mutagenesis is applied to induce variations. Recently, a mutagenized pre-breeding diploid potato population was developed at AAFC Charlottetown. Dr. Fofana will give an update on this genetic resource, its characterization, and its potentials in the CRISPR era.

Living laboratories Initiative progress report. Lightning presentation science updates. Rodd Royalty, Charlottetown, Feb 22, 2022 (Oral presentation).