Annual Report - IHBT

EDIBLE and SPICE CROPSAPPLE (Malus domestica)Value added product development using apple pomaceApple pomace, a solid residue obtained after juice extraction is an industrial waste that causes highdegree of environmental pollution. Therefore, studies were intiated to utilize this waste for valueadded product development. The antioxidant activity of aextracts obtained from apple pomacewas analyzed. Highest activity was obtained with acetone (36.5%) as a solvent as compared toethanol or methanol (36.3 & 32.1%, respectively).Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV)A 6 kb region of the ACLSV genome (7.5 kb)containing the movement and coat proteins,and partial replicase gene was cloned andsequenced (Fig. 46).Fig. 46 The ACLSV genomeTwenty-seven isolates from different geographic locations were analyzed to understand the homology/divergence.In case of coat protein, all the isolates shared 91-100% and 70-98% sequence identityat amino acid and nucleotide level, respectively. Based on available classification, these were separatedinto P-205 and B-6 groups. The highest degree of variability was observed in middle of theprotein with 9 amino acid substitutions (72 nd -98 th ) in contrast to the N-terminal and C-terminals.Molecular plant microbe interactionsIn continuation to previous studies on molecular basis of Alternaria mali pathogenesis in apple,detached leaf assays were developed. In silico expression analyses was carried out on identifiedapple homologs of arabidopsis genes associated with hormonal (JA, SA and Ethylene) signallingin plant defence (Fig. 47). An apple ortholog of arabidopsis brassinosteroid insensitive1 (BRI1)-associated receptor kinase (BAK1), a master regulator of defence signalling in plants was alsoidentified.50