What is special about the gene that causes tomatoes to plump up?

Summary: Farmers can grow big, juicy tomatoes thanks to a mutation in the cell size regulator gene that occurred during the tomato domestication process. Farmers can grow big, juicy tomatoes thanks to a mutation in the Cell Size Regulator gene that occurred during the tomato domestication process.

How many genes do a tomato have?

The tomato genome has been decoded! Plant geneticists from 14 different countries spent the last nine years mapping the genetic makeup of the tomato, and have discovered that the tomato contains 31,760 genes – that’s 7,000 more genes than a human being! The tomato’s genome is actually closer to that of a potato.

Why do plants have a lot of genes?

One explanation for the large increase in gene number during angiosperm evolution is gene duplication. It has been shown previously that the retention of duplicates following small- and large-scale duplication events in plants is substantial.

What plants have more genes than humans?

How was tomato genetically modified?

The tomato has the distinction of being the very first widespread genetically modified food available in the United States. Starting in 1994, the Flavr Savr tomato was bred with a deactivated gene that kept the plant from producing polygalacturonase, an enzyme that’s the starting point for rot.

How genetically similar are humans to tomatoes?

For example, people and tomatoes share as much as 60 percent of the same genes.

How genetically modified tomatoes are made?

The variety was made by introducing a gene from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana—called AtMYB12—into the tomato genome. The gene codes for a transcription factor that binds to the promoter regions of genes encoding various metabolic enzymes.

Do tomatoes have fish genes?

There are no fish genes in tomatoes, and if there were, the tomatoes would have to be so labeled according to existing regulations.

Do tomatoes have more genes than humans?

The Tomato Has More Genes Than Humans. The tomato genome has been decoded! Plant geneticists from 14 different countries spent the last nine years mapping the genetic makeup of the tomato, and have discovered that the tomato contains 31,760 genes – that’s 7,000 more genes than a human being!

Can we decode the tomato genome to breed better Tomatoes?

A consortium of plant geneticists from 14 countries has spent nine years decoding the tomato genome in the hope of breeding better ones.

How close is the tomato genome to a potato?

The tomato’s genome is actually closer to that of a potato. (The two plants share 92 percent of their DNA.) Why map the tomato genome at all?

What is the difference between a potato and a tomato?

The genomes of the two plants have 92 percent of their DNA in common, the tomato researchers report. The main difference is that the potato is thought to have a handful of genes that direct the plant’s energy away from producing fruit and into the generation of tubers.