A team of researchers from different universities were able to uncover the genetic pathways that allow pineapple to thrive in water-limited environments. By sequencing its genome, they were able to isolate specific genes and pathways that allow these plants to survive with limited water supply.
As reported in the Tech Times, a group of scientists from University of Illinois and other research organizations tried to understand the evolutionary history of certain species of grass like sorghum and rice that share ancestral history with pineapple. The new findings were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
According to Phy Org, humans have cultivated pineapple for more than 6,000 years in regions of southwest Brazil and northeast Paraguay. More than 85 countries are currently producing around 25 million metric tons of pineapple fruit each year. This comes to a gross production value of around $9 billion.
Ray Ming, a University of Illinois plant biology professor and the one who led the multi-institutional research said, "Our analysis indicates that the pineapple genome has one fewer whole genome duplication than the grasses that share an ancestor with pineapple, making pineapple the best comparison group for the study of cereal crop genomes".
Pineapples are said to make use of a special type of photosynthesis called crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) which has evolved independently in more than 10,000 plant species according to the report. It is said that pineapple is the most economically valuable plant among those 10,000 species according to Ming.
More so, findings reveal that genes responsible for CAM photosynthesis are regulated by the plant's circadian clock genes. This allows plants to identify day from night and adjust their metabolism accordingly.
"This is the first time scientists have found a link between regulatory elements of CAM photosynthesis genes and circadian clock regulation," Ming said. "This makes sense, because CAM photosynthesis allows plants to close the pores in their leaves during the day and open them at night. This contributes to pineapple's resilience in hot, arid climates, as the plant loses very little moisture through its leaves during the day."
This is a great discovery that will open the gates to more findings so plants can survive in the changing climate that our planet goes through. What do you think of the pineapple genome discovery? Share us your thoughts by leaving your comments below.
