Objective
The aim of this proposal is to carry out a systematic search for the function of all members of one family of transcription factors in Arabidopsis. The members of the myb gene family contain a highly conserved DNA-binding motif, which has permitted the isolation of partial cDNAs representing over 80 members of the Arabidopsis myb gene family as part of the Biotech and Arabidopsis genome programmes. The functions of a few of these genes are beginning to be understood using a combination of genetical and biochemical analysis in several species. Consensus target sites in promoters have been identified, and some Myb proteins have been shown to activate transcription of target genes encoding enzymes of biochemical pathways. Other members of the family control cellular differentiation, and plant responses to environmental challenges such as UV light, water stress, mechanical damage and defence responses against pathogens. However, it is clear that because the functions of most of the members of this unusually large gene family are unknown, and because of the important and diverse cellular functions of characterised Mybs, the full range of the regulatory influence of this gene family is not yet appreciated and promises to be very significant.
This project aims to identify the function of most members the myb gene family in Arabidopsis using a PCR-based strategy to screen systematically for insertion mutations in each of the myb genes. Such strategies have been successfully established in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis, and have recently been applied to mutagenized plant populations. Such a systematic search promises to be both the most efficient route for determining gene function and will also provide the most comprehensive and readily applicable knowledge of the genes and the interactions between members of the family. Publicly available sources of insertion mutations include the 14,000 T-DNA tagged lines of Feldmann and coworkers, which harbour insertions in more than 65% of Arabidopsis genes, and an allied function search proposal aiming to use T-DNA and transposons to saturate the genome with insertions. As a means of detecting mutations in genes of unknown function, insertional mutagenesis is considerably more efficient in plants than gene inactivation through homologous recombination. Despite intensive efforts to design methods for observing gene replacement in plants, the phenomenon remains very poorly characterised and as a practical method will not provide any opportunity for use at a time when systematic function searches promise to be so fruitful, as accompanying measures to ensure the maximal use of genome sequencing programmes. The planned work will also establish a model for interactions between EU labs which exploit the resources available from the genome programme, the programme(s) aimed at saturation mutagenesis of the Arabidopsis genome, and those labs with common biological interests and goals. Such a combination of resources, achievable only in a pan-European context, promises to lay new foundations for efficient and effective studies in fundamental aspects of plant biology which can be directly applied to agricultural improvement.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
NR4 7UH NORWICH
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.