Projects / Programmes
Transkriptom plodu oljke ? razvoj oznak izraženih zaporedij (EST) oljčnega plodu za študije tkivno specifičnih metabolnih poti (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.03.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
Agricultural plants |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.04 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agricultural biotechnology |
Researchers (10)
Organisations (2)
Significance for science
Olive is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees and oil producing crops of the Mediterranean basin, with very high historical, cultural and economic relevance. It also plays a fundamental role in the landscape maintenance of some regions. Olive production is globally the most important agricultural branch of the aforementioned region and olive oil is the principal source of fats in the rich Mediterranean diet. This study on EST development and characterization from developing olive fruit using next generation sequencing technologies (NGS) has enabled us to generate the first larger amount of nucleotide data for olive. They are all accessible through the NCBI SRA archive. The project results are also of interest to international collaborators who are engaged in olive research. In collaboration with a French research group from INRA Montpellier, genic microsatellite markers were developed for use in genotyping and linkage analysis studies. The project results have enabled us to characterize a large number of genes used for normalization of RT-qPCR studies and to gain an insight into the expression of selected genes that are involved in the synthesis of fatty acids in developing olive fruit. The results have also contributed to new knowledge about the biochemical characteristics of the primary metabolism (synthesis of fatty acids) of olive fruit. The knowledge gained will also contribute to fundamental knowledge of other biological processes in olive fruit.
Secondary metabolism of biophenols is very important in relation to superior olive oil storage capacity and from a pharmaceutical point of view. Annotation of transcripts yielded 924 sequences that are putatively involved in the processes of secondary metabolism. The basic results achieved will have a broad impact on the development of applications and science in this field.
Significance for the country
The research results have contributed to the acquisition of new knowledge in Slovenia and, consequently, to incorporating such knowledge into new technologies both in Slovenia and in the wider world. We have successfully gained the necessary bioinformatic skills for manipulation and analysis of NGS data. This project, together with other projects of the Biotechnical Faculty group, has made an important contribution to the development of the bioinformatics field – we have decided to develop a powerful server class computer with dedicated software for NGS data analysis.
Vegetable oils provide approximately 25% of the calories consumed by industrial nations. In addition to their dietary significance, vegetable oils are a major agricultural commodity, with worldwide production of 40 billion kilograms, worth nearly 35 billion € per year. This large market and the fact that the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils influences both their physical properties and nutritional characteristics, has encouraged considerable interest in modifying plant fatty acid production and synthesis of pharmacologically active molecules, including biophenols and vitamins. Genomic approaches, including EST sequencing, are now contributing to greater understanding of the underlying metabolism of oil plants and the regulatory networks that determine the quality and quantity of oils produced.
The project has also been important for the education of human resources. A young researcher has been trained within the context of the project tasks and she has successfully gained knowledge and the necessary bioinformatics skills. In Slovenia, olive is second to apple in terms of the area used for its cultivation. Slovenian olive oil was the first Slovene agricultural product with a quality mark certified by the European Union. This research proposal also has indirect significance for society in terms of its potential for educating the young. Education is crucial for developing innovation and for transferring research findings into the economy. The project results are also an ideal learning platform for undergraduate and graduate students for learning the skills of NGS analysis.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
