Monitoring Expression of KMD1 in the Presence of 1,4 DMN using ELISA

Abstract:

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are the world’s fourth most important crop, valued at $3.94 billion as of 2019. Potatoes require the use of sprout inhibitors to suppress growth for long-term storage. Sprouting tubers have a decreased value due to spoilage and unsuitability for processing. The chemical 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene (1,4 DMN) is now being used as a sprout inhibitor in Europe which allows growers to induce an artificial state of dormancy in potatoes. Application of growth suppressants, such DMN, are necessary because growers cannot accurately determine when natural dormancy has ended and tubers will begin to sprout. The protein Kiss Me Deadly 1 (KMD1) has been linked to some signaling pathways triggered in different states of dormancy, and RNA-seq experiments demonstrated that transcripts for KMD1 decrease as dormancy ends. We have developed an antibody to KMD1 and used an ELISA to measure protein changes in potatoes undergoing natural dormancy and after treatment with 1,4-DMN. The antibody was effective in detecting a peptide specific to KMD1 and did detect some level of KMD1 in dormant and in 1,4-DMN treated tubers. However, no significant changes in KMD1 were detected after two days of 1,4-DMN exposure in comparison to controls.