Application of transcriptomics information in the development of new high quality rubber clones

Mevalonate (MVA) and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathways are two important pathways in rubber biosynthesis. Natural rubber from Hevea brasiliensis with isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) as monomeric subunit is produced via these two biosynthetic pathways. The high performance properties of natural rubber cannot be replaced by synthetic rubber and other latex-producing plants for use in many industrial applications. However, the major hurdle for sustainable production of natural rubber is the absence of a quality diagnostic tool to screen the mother clones to ensure their performance in plantations. Therefore, molecular biological techniques were applied to facilitate the development of molecular markers that are directly related to economic traits for marker assisted selection.