BBGD: an online database for blueberry genomic data

BBGD is the world's first database for blueberry genomics. BBGD is both a sequence and gene expression database. It stores both EST and microarray data and allows scientists to correlate expression profiles with gene function. BBGD is a public online database. Presently, the main focus of the database is the identification of genes in blueberry that are significantly induced or suppressed after low temperature exposure.By using the database, researchers have developed EST-based markers for mapping and have identified a number of "candidate" cold tolerance genes that are highly expressed in blueberry flower buds after exposure to low temperatures.Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is one of the major berry crops grown in the United States [1]. North America, in fact, is the world's leading blueberry producer, accounting for nearly 90% of world production at the present time. Total area devoted to growing commercial blueberries in North America is approximately 74,000 hectares. Blueberry is a high value crop, often times grown in acidic and imperfectly drained soils that would otherwise be considered unfit for agricultural production [2]. Blueberry is also an important fruit crop because of its nutritional value. Of all fresh fruits and vegetables, blueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants [3]. Blueberry is a model organism for the heath family Ericaceae, which also includes the economically important, closely related cranberry as well as the economically important, more distantly related ornamentals, rhododendron, azalea, and mountain laurel. For all these related species, genomic studies, including EST generation and microarray analyses, are lacking or completely absent. Functional genomic studies on berry crops are lacking, especially studies dealing with the molecular impacts of low temperature on berry crop yield. Low temperature extremes reduce blueberry yields and impact the profitability and competitiveness of U.S. producers. Enhanced cold toler