Fruit scientists uncover DNA behind colour, flavour, shape, nutrition and
ripening

Kiwifruit lovers can look forward to new, novel forms of their favourite
fruit thanks to the release this week of crucial genetic data which fruit
breeders say will help them naturally breed new varieties with increased
health properties and exciting colours and flavours.
Researchers at New Zealand-based fruit science company HortResearch and
listed New Zealand biotech company Genesis Research and Development
Corporation Limited announced today that they would complete the public
release of the world?s most extensive collection of kiwifruit DNA sequences.

The release comprises over 130,000 kiwifruit gene sequences - referred to by
scientists as expressed sequence tags (ESTs). These are DNA sequences from
active genes in the plant; genes that govern such characteristics as
flavour, colour, shape, vitamin content and aspects of fruit development
such as ripening and storage life.

HortResearch and Genesis released a similar number of apple ESTs in March
2006. Those genes are now part of HortResearch?s world-renowned apple and
pear breeding programme.

A paper detailing the discovery and analysis of the Kiwifruit EST?s was
published today by US-based peer-reviewed journal BMC Genomics (See link to
paper as a feature at www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/9/351)

HortResearch scientist Dr William Laing says the kiwifruit ESTs were
identified over an eight year period and will be used by the company?s
breeders to speed up development of new kiwifruit varieties through a
technique known as Marker Assisted Selection (MAS).

In a MAS breeding programme, breeders use traditional crossing techniques to
breed new varieties ? which are then assessed for their commercial potential
by searching their DNA for markers that indicate the presence of genes
linked to desirable fruit traits. ESTs are essential in helping scientists
identify the genes they?re looking for.

?If breeding a new fruit with a specific trait is like finding a needle in a
haystack, then MAS is like having a metal detector,? says Dr Laing.

?Our breeding programme with ZESPRI generates many thousands of seedlings
every year. Without MAS, we would have to plant out each of those seedlings,
wait years until they bear fruit and then assess which plants we wanted to
commercialise or use for further breeding. With MAS, we can quickly ?scan?
the seedlings and find out right-away which ones are likely to have the type
of fruit we want.?

Dr Laing says that?s good news for both kiwifruit growers and consumers
because it will help in breeding new commercial varieties that include some
of the numerous health, flavour and colour characteristics found in wild
kiwifruit.

?The genus Actinidia, to which all kiwifruit belong, is incredibly diverse
and contains many colours, shapes, flavours and other attributes beyond the
two most prominent industry cultivars, the green-fleshed Hayward and
yellow-fleshed Hort16A (better known as ZESPRI? GOLD Kiwifruit).

?HortResearch has a collection of 23 species of kiwifruit and many more can
be found in China, from where kiwifruit originated. We?re now better placed
than ever to unlock some of that natural resource and deliver it to
consumers.?

HortResearch acting Chief Executive Dr Bruce Campbell said the fact that New
Zealand researchers were the first to publish such a large body of data on
kiwifruit biology would pay significant dividends for New Zealand?s billion
dollar kiwifruit industry.

?The work involved in identifying these ESTs, plus research that has been
done to investigate their use in ongoing breeding programmes proves New
Zealand?s world leadership status in kiwifruit science. Now, by sharing the
EST database with researchers worldwide, we will be able to gain even
further knowledge through collaborations with other researchers.

Dr Campbell said the benefits to New Zealand?s kiwifruit industry would be
quickly realised through HortResearch?s partnership with ZESPRI Limited.

?HortResearch breeds kiwifruit exclusively for ZESPRI and the New Zealand
kiwifruit industry. It is a relationship that has already seen the breeding
and highly successful commercialisation of ZESPRI? GOLD kiwifruit and now
looks poised to deliver more exciting fruit to the marketplace.?

ZESPRI New Products Innovation Leader Bryan Parkes said the use of ESTs will
help fast-track the future identification of superior cultivars.

?This science is a great fit with our natural breeding strategy, which is
committed to delivering high-quality, all natural kiwifruit that offer
consumers health, convenience, pleasure and a guarantee of 100% natural
goodness.?

?This new molecular insight into kiwifruit, coupled with time-honored
breeding techniques offers the perfect combination of innovation and
tradition while ensuring customers that ZESPRI? Kiwifruit really are nature?s
best.?

About HortResearch
HortResearch is a New Zealand-based science company, acknowledged as a world
leader in integrated fruit research using unique resources in fruit, plants
and sustainable production systems to provide novel technologies, innovative
fruit and food products with high consumer appeal.

Home to leading-edge scientific capability in plant breeding, tree, vine and
fruit physiology, HortResearch has earned considerable acclaim as the name
behind development of ZESPRI? Gold kiwifruit, ENZA JAZZ? brand apples and a
range of other successful cultivars including blueberries, peaches and
pears.

The company enjoys further praise as the research team behind the
development of the world''s first intelligent fruit labelling system,
ripeSense? marketed by RIPESENSE Limited.

HortResearch is now enhancing its commercial science capability, utilising
skills in plant molecular biology, nutrigenomics, food chemistry and human
physiology to find new ways to improve health, wellbeing and performance.

The company is also developing breakthrough science and technology to meet
emerging markets for functional foods and naturally produced flavours and
fragrances.

About Genesis
Founded in 1994, Genesis is a New Zealand-based biotechnology company. It
has built a broad therapeutic development platform targeting immune
disorders and cancer and is focusing on developing RNAi therapeutics. The
company has an extensive patent portfolio. Genesis also has royalty rights
for various products that are being developed by other parties in the fields
of agriculture, bioinformatic software, forage grass, forestry,
horticulture, etc resulting from previous agbio collaborations.
www.genesis.co.nz

About Zespri International
ZESPRI is acknowledged globally as the market leader in kiwifruit, managing
30 percent of internationally traded kiwifruit. ZESPRI represents around
4,000 kiwifruit growers globally and sells over 340,000 tonnes of premium
quality kiwifruit to 52 countries annually. With a head office in Mount
Maunganui, New Zealand, and offices in Asia, Europe and North America,
ZESPRI works with growers and post-harvest ope
www.checkbiotech.org