Arabidopsis thaliana (the model dicotyledonous plant) is closely related to Brassica crop species. Genome collinearity, or conservation of marker order, between Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and A. thaliana was assessed over a 7.5-Mbp region of the long arm of A. thaliana chromosome 4, equivalent to 30 cM. Estimates of copy number indicated that sequences present in a single copy in the haploid...

Plant disease resistance (R) genes confer race-specific resistance to pathogens and are genetically defined on the basis of intra-specific functional polymorphism. Little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms that generate this polymorphism. Most R loci examined to date contain alternate alleles and/or linked homologs even in disease-susceptible plant genotypes. In contrast, the resistance...

Allopolyploid species contain more than two sets of related chromosomes (homoeologs) that must be sorted during meiosis to ensure fertility. As polyploid species usually have multiple origins, one intriguing, yet largely underexplored, question is whether different mechanisms suppressing crossovers between homoeologs may coexist within the same polyphyletic species. We addressed this question u...

Sclerotinia rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most serious diseases of oilseed rape. To understand the resistance mechanisms in the Brassica napus to S. sclerotiorum, comparative disease progression, histological and proteomic studies were conducted of two B. napus genotypes (resistant cv. Charlton, susceptible cv. RQ001-02M2). At 72 and 96 h post inoculation (hpi), lesion si...

The fungus Leptosphaeria maculans (L. maculans) is the causal agent of blackleg disease of canola/oilseed rape (Brassica napus) worldwide. We previously reported cloning of the B. napus blackleg resistance gene, LepR3, which encodes a receptor-like protein. LepR3 triggers localized cell death upon recognition of its cognate Avr protein, AvrLm1. Here, we exploited the Nicotiana benthamiana model...

Genetic engineering methods have been used successfully to modify the fatty acid profile of elite Australian germplasm of Brassica napus and B. juncea. Co-suppression plasmids carrying oleate desaturase genes from each species have been constructed and transferred into Australian elite breeding lines of B. napus and B. juncea using Agrobacterium tumifaciens plant-transformation techniques. Modi...

A pathogenicity gene has been identified in Leptosphaeria maculans, the ascomycetous fungus that causes blackleg disease of canola (Brassica napus). This gene encodes isocitrate lyase, a component of the glyoxylate cycle, and is essential for the successful colonization of B. napus. It was identified by a reverse genetics approach whereby a plasmid conferring hygromycin resistance was inserted ...

Genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) Brassica napus plants originating from seed spill have recently been found along roadsides leading from Japanese ports that unload oilseed rape. Such introductions have potential biodiversity effects (as defined by the Cartagena Protocol): these include replacement of native elements in the biota through competitive suppression or hybridization. W...

Allopolyploidization with the merger of the genomes from different species has been shown to be associated with genetic and epigenetic changes. But the maintenance of such alterations related to one parental species after the genome is extracted from the allopolyploid remains to be detected. In this study, the genome of Brassica napus L. (2n = 38, genomes AACC) was extracted from its intergener...

Introduction: Many plants with anti-oxidant properties proved to be effective on diabetes treatment. Brassica napus (turnip) is an anti-oxidant plant consumed raw or cooked. In this study, we examined and compared hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties of raw and cooked Brassica napus in diabetic rats. Objectives: Due to measuring bioactive component of Brassica napus as a rich source of fla...