We could soon eat apples with red flesh

Red-fleshed apples and other odd fruit varieties may soon arrive at a supermarket near you thanks to new earth-improving techniques that mimic mutations in the world. DNA in nature. New Zealand

Techniques could allow us to easily manipulate the appearance, texture, taste and nutritional content of fruits and vegetables to quickly create superior quality products.

Most of the nutrients and vitamins in products such as apples and potatoes, for example, are found in color compounds, or pigments, that are concentrated in the skin. But by manipulating a family of proteins called "MYB transcription factors," scientists could produce these healthy compounds through the fruit, including the flesh.

This could be done using gene editing techniques such as CRISPR / Cas9. "Copy and paste" code of the DNA.

In an article published in the journal Trends in Plant Science researchers Andrew Allan and Richard Espley of PFR examined research on MYBs that are associated with the development of biological biology. signaling and pigmentation in plants.

"Studies have shown that pigments such as anthocyanins and carotenoids are supposed to provide health and nutrition benefits," Allan said in a statement. "Changes in key MYB transcription factors could turn the colorless flesh of some fruits into one with color." This could significantly increase the pigment content per serving of fruit, which could alter the health benefits. "[19659002] In addition to their influence on color, MYBs are also involved in taste, flavor and aroma.The selection of new categories of fruits and vegetables having an appearance, flavor, texture and Improved conservation, among other desirable characteristics, could encourage the consumption of more plant products, which would benefit public health, according to researchers

Other new plant breeding methods could be beneficial for different reasons: A method called speed breeding, for example, can produce crops several times faster than traditional odes, which could help feed the rapidly expanding world population.

The process described in the journal Nature Plants helps plants grow faster by putting them under a special lighting system that is improved for photosynthesis.