A road map towards enlightening the potato greening mechanisms

Potato greening, known as sunburn, causes 2-3% loss at the farm gate and during postharvest storage. The phenomenon involves chlorophyll synthesis in the cortical parenchyma cells beneath the periderm and a simultaneous accumulation of toxic glycoalkaloid compounds in the light-exposed area. However, the genetic means toward its avoidance have been less explored and mechanisms of such genetic approaches are unknown. Potato tubers from ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-treated and non-treated control lines were exposed to light, and EMS lines tolerant to greening were identified. RNAseq transcriptomic study comparing a non-greening and a greening line was performed before light exposure and after six days of continuous light exposure. Significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed between controls and non-greening tubers. The data will be presented and discussed in light of GO and KEGG pathway enrichment toward deciphering mechanism of light induced-greening of potato tubers.