Genetics and Breeding of Brassica Crops

Abstract

Brassica genus includes very common crops including oilseeds (oilseed rape, mustard) and vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, etc.). Glucosinolates are the major class of secondary metabolites in the family Brassicaceae, and their hydrolytic products have beneficial effects in plant protection and human health. Knowledge on the genetics and inheritance of these compounds may be used to modify the content and the profile of glucosinolates. In this review, we summarize the identification of the main genes related to glucosinolate synthesis in crops of the Brassica genus using different tools, such as syntenic information with the model plant Arabidopsis, whole-genome sequence information, or identification of quantitative trait loci. Breeding programs to decrease total glucosinolate content of seed (oilseeds, mustards) or to increase the content of a specific glucosinolate (glucoraphanin in broccoli) through conventional breeding or genetic engineering are also reviewed. Besides, recent studies on genetics of glucosinolates in other crops that do not belong to Brassica (Raphanus, Sinapis, etc.) are also presented.