2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Cell production is an important factor to affect fruit size during fruit development. Fruit development can fall apart into three parts: flower-tube growth, fruit set and fruit growth. All of them are regulated by genes expression. In this project, the aim is to test the effect of some specific genes expression on cell production, and then how them influence apples size. At the end, a connection of specific genes expression, cell production and apple size will be made by this research. In this research, two varieties of apples trees, Gala and Golden Delicious Smoothee, will be selected. These two varieties of trees can produce different size of apples. Two kinds of data should be collected, phenotype and genotype. Phenotype includes apple diameter, length, weight, cell number, relative cell production rate. Genotype includes specific genes expression. All of these data will be collected every week from flower-tube growth to fruit growth. After that, based on statistics analysis, a dynamic variation rule will be detected with the time development. For example, Cell production will be inhibited by specific genes expression during floral-tube development, resulting in growth arrest before bloom. At the end, a connection between phenotype and genotype will be found and these specific genes function would also be detected. In the next project, all genes which can control cell production would be tested by QTL analysis and then the secret of co-expression of genes will be found in this project.