In order to improve the flavor of tomato, the original flavor of tomato can be found by pan-genome research.

Tomato is a vegetable that exists all the year round, and we often eat this kind of vegetable. Have you found that the taste of tomato is very different from that of tomato 20 years ago? the taste of tomato today is light, and its acidity and sweetness are not very obvious. it also has something to do with the current tomato planting method, do you want to eat the original tomato flavor?

Many people find that tomatoes bought from stores do not seem to taste as good as they remember and seem to have lost their original flavor (flavor). Through the study of pan-genome (pan-genome), we may be able to find out the original flavor of tomato and clarify the reason for the change of flavor. Pan-genome refers to the total collection of genomes in the same species, including its strains, subspecies and so on. Sorting out the pan-genome of a species will not only help to clarify the evolutionary history and genetic background of the species, but also help to reconstruct the genetic relationship among horticultural strains. Using pangenomic analysis techniques, coupled with an evolutionary point of view, it may be possible to further discover a few key genes. The research team headed by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (Agricultural Research Service) of the United States Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service) of the United States Department of Agriculture (Department of Agriculture) has made significant achievements in the pan-genome research of tomato for the first time.

The team used the whole genomes of a few known strains as reference genomes to compare 725 tomato strains and obtain genomic information. In the process of alignment, the team found genes that were different from those known in the reference genome, and a total of 4873 emerging genes were found. It is speculated that these genes which have disappeared in the mainstream lines may face serious bottleneck effects under the pressure of ancestral domestication, breeding and selection for specific traits, resulting in gene loss between generations. as a result, many genetic traits disappear from generation to generation, resulting in the gradual loss of diversity in the gene pool with high genetic diversity. Fortunately, through the pan-genome research method, the research team was able to find out the genetic factors lost in the breeding process and retrieve the original flavor.

In tomatoes, TomLoxC is responsible for the synthesis of vitamin A precursors and volatile organic fatty acids related to flavor. In the pan-genome study of tomato, it was found that a specific dual gene (allele, also known as allele) of TomLoxC existed only in a few cultivated lines or populations. Although up to 91% of wild populations have this dual gene, the dual gene is rare in mainstream cultivated strains and exists only in old cultivated lines. The research team concluded that in order to select traits such as high yield, long storage time, disease resistance and drought resistance, growers ignored the traits related to taste and flavor in the process of selection, which led to the gradual disappearance of the dual gene from generation to generation, forming a rare dual gene with low gene frequency (rare allele). The team's major findings provide a reasonable explanation for the vanishing tomato flavor and hope to provide a more comprehensive genetic background for breeders through pan-genome research.

Now the pan-genome is developing the original flavor of the tomato, will be on the market soon, you must taste the pan-genome research of the original flavor of the tomato, its taste will surprise you!