ABSTRACT
Structural genomics can be broadly defi ned as understanding how DNA content contributes to the expression of genes and phenotypes (traits) in an organism. Genomic research initially focused on coding regions of genes
Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616 USA. *Corresponding author
such as expressed sequence tags (ESTs), but as we learn more about the complexity of DNA, the blueprint for life, it is becoming clear that even regions of genes that are not transcribed into mRNA such as promoters, 3’ untranslated regions (UTR), introns, as well as intergenic sequences may play a signifi cant role in an organism’s phenotype. In this chapter we will focus on gene related sequences in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and demonstrate how to tap into these features to measure and track variation in breeding and genetic programs.
