Characterizing the sherry mutant in Solanum lycopersicum (cv. Canary Export)

For my summer internship project, I worked on characterizing the sherry mutant in solanum lycopersicum cv. Canary Export. For this project we wanted to learn more about the sherry mutant, which was created through fast neutron mutagenesis. The sherry mutant was selected from a carotenoid mutant accumulation assessment screening, and was selected as a good candidate for further research to better elucidate the fruit ripening process in the tomato. What I worked on specifically was looking at sherry’s ethylene sensitivity response via the triple response assay, as well as looking at sherry’s carotenoid profile using HPLC separation, to see how it differed from it’s wildtype background. I then took that profile and looked at the gene expression through Real Time PCR, in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of our sherry mutant, to see if maybe that played a role in the mutant phenotype that we were seeing. We also wanted to look at other aspects of ripening, to determine if sherry was somehow controlling more then just carotenoid accumulation, and we did this by looking at the levels of ascorbic acid accumulation through ripening in our sherry mutant vs. Canary Export. We came to the conclusion that the sherry mutant was indeed effecting other aspects of fruit ripening, other then just carotenoid accumulation. Other work that needs to be done for this project: the sherry mutant needs to be mapped to find out exactly where the mutation is located, it is currently punitively mapped to chromosome 10, as well as backcross sherry with the Alisa Craig background create a near isogenic line (NIL) and use this to compare it to other ethylene mutants. Overall this has definitely been one of my most exciting learning experiences of my life, and I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have worked along side prestigious scientists such as Jim Giovannoni. The knowledge I learned this summer is invaluable to my future career as a researcher, and I thank the PGRP program for this awesome learning opportunity!

My Experience

For my summer internship project, I worked on characterizing the sherry mutant in solanum lycopersicum cv. Canary Export. For this project we wanted to learn more about the sherry mutant, which was created through fast neutron mutagenesis. The sherry mutant was selected from a carotenoid mutant accumulation assessment screening, and was selected as a good candidate for further research to better elucidate the fruit ripening process in the tomato. Overall this has definitely been one of my most exciting learning experiences of my life, and I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have worked along side prestigious scientists such as Jim Giovannoni. The knowledge I learned this summer is invaluable to my future career as a researcher, and I thank the PGRP program for this awesome learning opportunity!