The ARS is the principal in-house research arm of the USDA.

Staff members:

• Kent F. McCue, Research Geneticist
• William R. Belknap, Supervisory Plant Physiologist and Research Leader of the Crop Improvement and Utilization Research Unit

The partners have extensive expertise in the generation and evaluation of transgenic potatoes. Specific expertise includes the molecular analysis of transformation events and the expression and suppression of proteins for the modification of metabolism, particularly that of steroidal glycoalkaloids.

Selected publications:

• McCue, K.F., Shepherd, L.V.T., Allen, P.V., Maccree, M.M., Rockhold, D.R., Corsini, D.L., Davies, H.V. and Belknap, W.R. (2005) Metabolic compensation of steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis in transgenic potato tubers: using reverse genetics to confirm the in vivo enzyme function of a steroidal alkaloid galactosyltransferase. Plant Sci. 168 (1):267-273.
• McCue, K.F., Allen, P.V., Shepherd, L.V.T., Blake, A., Whitworth, J, Maccree, M.M., Rockhold, D.R., Stewart, D., Davies, H.V. and Belknap, W.R. (2006) The primary in vivo steroidal alkaloid glucosyltransferase from potato (Solanum tuberosum). Phytochemistry 67 (15):1590-1597.
• McCue, K.F., Allen, P.V., Shepherd, L.V.T., Blake, A., Maccree, M.M., Rockhold, D.R., Novy, R.G., Stewart, D., Davies, H.V. and Belknap, W.R. (2007) Potato glycosterol rhamnosyltransferase, the terminal step in triose side-chain biosynthesis. Phytochemistry 68 (3):327-334.
• McCue, K.F., Allen, P.V., Shepherd, L.V.T., Blake, A., Rockhold, D.R., Novy, R.G., Stewart, D., Davies, H.V. and Belknap, W.R. (2007) Manipulation and compensation of steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis in potatoes. Proceedings of Solanaceae VI: Genomics Meets Biodiversity, Sixth International Solanaceae Conference. Acta Hort. 745:343-350.
• McCue K.F. (2009) Potato Glycoalkaloids, Past Present and Future. Fruit, Veg. and Cereal Sci. and Biotech. 3 (Special Issue 1):65-71.