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Cited by 20Plant tissue culture and regenerationGenetics and Plant BreedingPotato Plant Research

Somaclonal Variation for Genetic Improvement of Starch Accumulation in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Tubers

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Adly, Walaa M. R. M., Niedbała, Gniewko, EL-Denary, Mohammad E., Mohamed, Mahasen A., Piekutowska, Magdalena, Wojciechowski, Tomasz, Abd El-Salam, El-Sayed T., Fouad, Ahmed S.·2023·Plants
DOI 10.3390/plants12020232PMC PMC9865851
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Abstract

Starch content is one of the major quality criteria targeted by potato breeding programs. Traditional potato breeding is a laborious duty due to the tetraploid nature and immense heterozygosity of potato genomes. In addition, screening for functional genetic variations in wild relatives is slow and strenuous. Moreover, genetic diversity, which is the raw material for breeding programs, is limited due to vegetative propagation used in the potato industry. Somaclonal variation provides a time-efficient tool to breeders for obtaining genetic variability, which is essential for breeding programs, at a reasonable cost and independent of sophisticated technology. The present investigation aimed to create potato somaclones with an improved potential for starch accumulation. Based on the weight and starch content of tubers, the somaclonal variant Ros 119, among 105 callus-sourced clones, recorded a higher tuberization potential than the parent cv Lady Rosetta in a field experiment. Although this somaclone was similar to the parent in the number of tubers produced, it exhibited tubers with 42 and 61% higher fresh and dry weights, respectively. Additionally, this clone recorded 10 and 75% increases in starch content based on the dry weight and average content per plant, respectively. The enhanced starch accumulation was associated with the upregulation of six starch-synthesis-related genes, namely, the AGPase, GBSS I, SBE I, SBE II, SS II and SS III genes. AGPase affords the glycosyl moieties required for the synthesis of amylose and amylopectin. GBSS is required for amylose elongation, while SBE I, SBE II, SS II and SS III are responsible for amylopectin.

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  • In Solanum tuberosum, somaclonal variant Ros 119 showed a 42% increase in fresh tuber weight and a 75% increase in starch content compared to the parent cv Lady Rosetta.

    “Adly et al. [133] used qPCR to analyze starch-synthesis-related genes in the somaclonal variant Ros 119 of Solanum tuberosum, which showed a 42% increase in fresh tuber weight and a 75% increase in starch content compared to the parent cv Lady Rosetta.”

    From Somaclonal Variation and Clonal Fidelity in Commercial Micropropagation: Challenges and Perspectives (2025) · cites this paper as [133]

    Results §2.2 reports that Ros 119 tubers had about 42% higher fresh weight than Lady Rosetta tubers. It also reports a 75% increase in total starch content per plant, but only a 10% increase in starch content measured per unit of tuber dry weight. The citing sentence omits the per-plant qualifier, making the 75% figure ambiguous. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • These findings demonstrate the potential of somaclonal variation and qPCR as effective tools for improving starch content and genetic diversity in potato breeding programs.

    “These findings demonstrate the potential of somaclonal variation and qPCR as effective tools for improving starch content and genetic diversity in potato breeding programs [133].”

    From Somaclonal Variation and Clonal Fidelity in Commercial Micropropagation: Challenges and Perspectives (2025) · cites this paper as [133]

    The Abstract and Conclusions support somaclonal variation as a way to generate genetic variability and potato clones with greater starch accumulation. Materials and Methods §4.4 describes qPCR as a way to measure starch-synthesis gene expression, not as a tool that itself improves starch content or genetic diversity. The Conclusions also say the promising clone still requires genetic characterization before participating effectively in breeding programs. (LLM, conf=0.89)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Enhanced starch accumulation in Solanum tuberosum Ros 119 was linked to upregulated expression of AGPase, SSs, GBSS, and SBE genes.

    “The enhanced starch accumulation was linked to the upregulated expression of AGPase, SSs, GBSS, and SBE genes.”

    From Somaclonal Variation and Clonal Fidelity in Commercial Micropropagation: Challenges and Perspectives (2025) · cites this paper as [133]

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Authors
Adly, W. M. R. M., Niedbała, G., EL-Denary, M. E., Mohamed, M. A., Piekutowska, M., Wojciechowski, T., Abd El-Salam, E.-S. T., & Fouad, A. S.
Affiliations
  • Agricultural Research Center (EG)
  • Poznań University of Life Sciences (PL)
  • Uniwersytet Pomorski w Słupsku (PL)
  • Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
  • Cairo University (EG)
Corresponding author
Fouad, Ahmed S.
ORCID
Venue
Plants
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-01-04
Volume
12
Issue
2
Pages
232
ISSN
2223-7747 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/plants12020232
PMC
PMC9865851
OpenAlex
W4313576387
Cited by
20
References
59
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2
FWCI
1.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Plants (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Plant tissue culture and regeneration
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Genetics and Plant Breeding
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Potato Plant Research
Keywords
somaclonal variation, potato, starch accumulation, tuber starch content, tuberization, starch synthesis genes, starch synthase, branching enzyme, amylose synthase, amylose and amylopectin, potato breeding

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