Natural gene transfer of T-DNA from the agrobacterium TI-plasmid to the speetpotato genome and its role in domestication

The aim of this project is to scharacterize the complete T-DNAs found in the sweetpotato genome and their insertion sites in the genome of speetpotato and its wilt relatives. Furthermoreit will be analyzed id the sweetpotato T-DNA genes are associated with the characteristic phenotypic root thcikening in a segregating population of sweetpotato and in wild relatives.