Understanding the Effect of Sweetpotato Virus Disease Complexes on Gene Expression, and DNA-Histone Interactions

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) is the third most consumed root crop in the world, preceded only by yams and cassava. In many developing countries, sweetpotato is referred to as a “famine” crop, as it is often utilized in subsistence farming. It is also a great source of several vitamins and nutrients, like beta-carotene, which promotes healthy eye-development in young children. Sweetpotato yields are at risk for severe decline when the plants become infected with two or more viruses. On its own, a single virus strain, such as sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), may cause little to no damage to the infected plant. However, when the virus infects the plant alongside another virus, like the sweetpotato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), the plant is severely impacted and tuber yield tends to decline. This synergistic interaction between these particular viruses is known as a disease complex, called sweetpotato virus disease (SPVD). This work investigates three different sweetpotato genotypes grown at Delaware State University’s Research Center. Between these genotypes, we plan to distinguish differences in viral content, gene expression, and DNA-histone interactions. Our goal is to develop a method for chromatin immunoprecipitation in sweetpotato and then examine storage root tissues from these sweetpotatoes in terms of gene expression and histone modification changes that are correlated with virus infection. Currently, we are comparing three sweetpotato varieties. In the future, we will compare sweetpotatoes from multiple generations arising from one initial plant.