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7428973 
Journal Article 
The Genetics of Brassica oleracea 
Quiros, CF; Farnham, MW; , 
2011 
Springer New York 
New York, NY 
Genetics and Genomics of the Brassicaceae 
261-289 
Brassica oleracea is one of the most important species of the Brassicaceae family because the species includes some of the most economically important vegetables in the world. Common heading cabbage and cauliflower are the most widely grown crops of this species, but broccoli is also now emerging rapidly as a world vegetable. The wide center of origin for this species is the Mediterranean Basin, and primitive forebears of our modern B. oleracea crop forms have been cultivated and selected for several millennia. Undoubtedly, the diverse array of wild forms found in this species and other very closely related species played very important roles in stimulating the occurrence of morphological variation within and among the B. oleracea crops as they underwent development. In the years following the rediscovery of Mendel’s work, many scientists studied the underlying genetic factors controlling the divergent morphologies within the species. This was of interest not only from a basic scientific standpoint, but also due to the practical necessity of understanding the complex sets of genes that combine and give rise to a specific crop form like heading cabbage or cauliflower. This knowledge is crucial in moving genes between crops in the process of breeding improved varieties. Secondary plant metabolites have emerged as key components of crops within this species because they appear to contribute added-value to the various crops by conferring intrinsic healthful effects on populations that consume these vegetables. Among the various components believed to confer a chemoprotective effect in B. oleracea, glucosinolates, and isothiocyanates have received the most attention in recent years and are considered in detail herein. The study of B. oleracea genetics has been greatly advanced during the modern era of gene study at the molecular level. Although the species has presented challenges, scientists focused on these crops are now mapping genes to specific chromosomes and the genome is well on its way to being sequenced. As knowledge advances at the molecular level, a fuller understanding of gene sequences and there relations to morphology, disease resistance, phytochemical make-up, and other important traits are being realized in B. oleracea.