title: Fruit improvement using intragenesis and artificial microRNA.
abstract: Genetic engineering methods based on the use of transgenes have been successfully adopted to improve crops. A novel all-native DNA gene technology consists of the creation of intragenic constructs by isolating genetic elements from a crop, rearranging them in vitro, and inserting them back into the plant. The ever-increasing genomic information and the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that control fruit development could be exploited to confer the desired fruit phenotypes using endogenous DNA. The spatial/temporal regulation of genes can be modified by using appropriate endogenous regulatory elements, such as fruit-specific promoters. In addition, intragenic silencing can be employed to downregulate fruit-related genes. Here, we describe the available tools for intragenic manipulation of early phases of fleshy fruit initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Molesini
authors.forename: Youry
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pii
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pandolfini
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D060847:Metabolic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs