Solanum tuberosum, more commonly known as the potato plant, is the fifth most valuable agricultural crop worldwide. Following harvest, potato tubers can be consumed immediately, but most are stored for later consumption or processing. To maintain the integrity of the crop, chemical inhibitors are often utilized to keep the tubers from sprouting while they are in storage. Recently, in Europe, the main sprout suppressant, CIPC has been banned due to health concerns. Therefore, alternate methods of sprout control, such as ethylene gas and the growth inhibitor 1,4-dimethylnapthalene (DMN), are used in Europe as the primary method maintain tuber quality in storage. How DMN affects the genetic expression of a potato tuber to prevent sprout growth is not yet understood; however, this research suggests that it may affect the ethylene signaling and ethylene biosynthesis pathways. This research uses data from a series of experiments that applied RNA-Seq to examine differential gene expression in tubers treated with DMN. Emphasis was placed on examining transcripts that were involved with ethylene signaling and metabolism.
