Biotechnology of pepper

Peppers belong to the genus Capsicum. They are found around the world in various edible forms and they exhibit great variations in size, shape, flavour and colour as well as plant habits. Five main species have been domesticated. (Cfrutescens L., C. chinense Jacq. ,C. baccatum L., C. pubescens R.& P., and C.annuum L.) among which C. annuum is the most widely cultivated. Two types of cultivars can be distinguished: sweet and pungent. A horticultural classification of peppershas been made by Smith45 based on the size, shape, colour and taste (sweet or pungent) of the fruit. The transfer of characters from wild species to cultivated genotypes is hampered by interspecific incompatibility and/or hybrid sterility. Only in a few cases have these barriers been overcome through embryo culture and somatic hybridisation. A recent update on pepper in vitro regeneration and transformation has been made by Steinitz et al.,46 and a summary of genes of interest transferred into pepper is given in Table 10.2.

Table 10.2 A summary of gene transfer and corresponding agricultural traits into pepper and eggplant
 
Plant species
Transformation methods
Gene utilised
Agricultural traits
Inheritance
Field or greenhouse
test
Reference
 
 
Capsicum annuum
A.t.
CMV coat
protein
CMV resistance
R1
51
 
 
A.t.
CMV satellite RNA
CMV resistance
R1
59
 
 
A.t.
Bar gene
Herbicide resistance
R1
60
 
 
Solanum melongena
A.t.
CryIIIB
Insect resistance
R1
No
71
 
 
A.t.
Synthetic
CryIIIA
Insect resistance
R1
F
72
 
 
A.t.
Mutagenised CryIIIB
Insect resistance
R2
F
75, 76
 
 
A.t.
Synthetic
CryIAb
Insect resistance
Not Tested
No
77
 
 
A.t.
Cysteine
protease inhibitor
Insect resistance
No
70
 
 
A.t.
IaaM from Pseudomonas synringae
Parthenocarpy
R2 and more
G
79, 80