Kathmandu. From time to time, people mix potatoes with vegetables. Suppose they have no identity.
In fact, this is the identity of the potato. Boil them, mash them or eat them as vegetables. But did you know that potatoes or tomatoes came first? Although potatoes are descended from tomatoes, the story is very interesting.
A new scientific study has revealed that about 90 million years ago, hybridization took place between a plant like a tomato and another ancient plant. This gave birth to the potato. This hybrid gave the potato the ability to become the tubers we eat today.
This fascinating finding was recently published in the journal Cell. The study’s lead researcher, Shanwen Huang, a genome biologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said the tomato was the mother of the potato. This ancient hybrid gave the potato the ability to spread to new places and harsh climates.
How was the mystery of the origin of the potato solved?TAG_OPEN_strong_39
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are one of the most important crops in the world. Thousands of wild and domestic potatoes grow in the Andes Mountains. They vary in color, shape, and taste. However, how the tuberosum of potatoes is formed is a major mystery.
Previous studies have shown that tomatoes are the closest living relative of potatoes. The plants of another group of ettuberossums are similar to potatoes but do not form tuberosums. To solve this mystery, the researchers sequenced the genomes of 44 wild potato species, three Ittuberosum species and 15 wild tomato species. This is the largest study to date.
The genomes of all potato varieties contain a mixture of tomato and Ittuberosum genes. This indicates an ancient hybrid. The ancestors of tomatoes and ettuberosum diverged about 13 million years ago. However, the hybridization between them took place 8-9 million years ago. Which created a new potato dynasty.
Contribution of tomatoes to tuberosome formation
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Tuberosomes are underground parts. Which store nutrients. They help potatoes survive in harsh climates and reproduce without seeds.
Gene SP6A from tomatoes: This is a key switch for tuber formation. Which tells you when to start making a plant.
IT1 gene from Atuberosum regulates the growth of underground stems that develop in tubers.
Only when these two genes combine can a tuber be formed. Hybridization gave the potato more genetic strength. This allowed them to evolve quickly into new species. After hybridization, potato varieties grew 20 percent faster than tomatoes and 36 percent faster than Atuberossums. This hybridization occurred during the rapid rise of the Andes mountains. This helped the potatoes to spread in a new environment.
What do the experts say?
Jeremy Beaulieu, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arkansas, called it “one of the most comprehensive studies of major innovations in plants.” Some scientists believe that the hybrids actually created the tubers. However, their full contribution to diversity is still in question.
What does this mean for the future?
“This discovery will help create new potato varieties, especially those grown from seed,” says Shanwen Huang. Scientists can insert potato genes into tomatoes. So that they can become tuber producers. This will repeat the ancient evolutionary process. The next time you eat potatoes, whether boiled, roasted or with french fries – don’t forget to thank the tomatoes.
