Objective
Apomictic embryogenesis or apomixis is a process by which embryos develop in the ovule without meiosis and egg cell fertilization. Apomixis produces seeds that are exact genetic replicas of the mother plant. Apomixis is now receiving an increasing attention from both scientific and industrial sectors, because it has a profound potential for crop improvement and agricultural production. The main advantage of apomixis over sexual reproduction is the possibility to select individual plants with superior characteristics and to propagate them clonally through seeds.
The aim of this proposal is to identify key genes that control apomixis in model species, and thus contribute to the compilation of molecular tools that will aid in the transfer of this trait to economically important crops. The model plant species Arabidopsis, tobacco, wheat and Hieracium will be used. The crop species tomato and lettuce will serve as examples to demonstrate the possible introduction of the apomictic trait. Each plant system chosen in this integrated proposal, provides a unique technical advantage for the understanding of the apomictic process. Partners in this project bring together a series of tools to provide an excellent starting point for the current proposal. Three strategies will be followed to achieve the goal:
1) Regulatory genes controlling early embryogenesis and markers for early embryogenesis identified in other systems, will be studied in apomictic model species. Important regulatory genes involved in somatic and zygotic embryogenesis, haploid parthenogenesis, cell-cycle control and meristem induction will be investigated for their role in apomictic embryogenesis. The expression of these and other genes involved in embryo sac development, autonomous embryo development and meiosis will be determined in apomictic and other species. The expression systems will be developed on the basis of non-destructive methods to aid in understanding of apomictic processes that occur in individual ovules.
2) Genetic screens in Arabidopsis will be used to identify genes that control apomixis. Mutants for apomixis will be isolated by EMS and transposon mutagenesis, and the corresponding genes will be cloned and analysed in model systems and crop plants.
3) Transfer of regulatory genes to model species and crop plants. In addition, the rolB gene, a powerful meristem-inducing plant oncogene, will be used to alter the hormonal balance in the ovule.
These complimentary approaches will result in the identification of genes that regulate apomictic embryogenesis. Using the transgenic approaches, the expected positive effects on the induction of apomixis will greatly aid in the transfer of the trait to crop species. The project will also deliver several well-defined novel regulatory genes of potential importance for agriculture and biotechnology.
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 developmental biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics heredity
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
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Coordinator
6700 AA Wageningen
Netherlands
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