Award details

Modulating seed size in oilseed rape

Reference	BBS/E/C/00004920
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Smita Kurup
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	124,388
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	26/04/2008
End date	15/11/2011
Duration	43 months

Abstract

Seed size plays a key role in the yield, quality and profitability of oilseed rape (Brassica napus), with ancillary effects on the early stages of crop establishment through its contribution to seedling vigour. In this project we will test the hypothesis that specific mechanisms that have been found to regulate seed size in the Brassicaceae reference species Arabidopsis are able to provide a route to significant increases in seed size in the related Brassica crop species. We are able to capitalise on a unique combination of recent findings in Arabidopsis, together with access to genetic and genomic tools for comparative analysis in Brassica. In particular, we will determine which specific developmental mechanisms contribute to existing natural variation within the Brassica genepool, and account for the observed variation in seed size. We will then test the hypothesis that Brassica orthologues of specific candidate genes that are up-regulated in 'large' seeds of Arabidopsis and are either not up-regulated or are down-regulated in 'small' seeds are also responsible for seed size variation in Brassica. The information and insights we obtain will be available for use in developing gene-specific molecular markers to screen allelic diversity within Brassica genepools. This will facilitate identification of valuable alleles for exploitation in breeding programmes aimed at boosting seed size and yield. The specific objectives are to: 1. Identify developmental mechanisms that control final seed size in Brassica 2. Assign known variation in Brassica seed size to specific mechanisms 3. Test the hypothesis that early endosperm proliferation due to paternal excess can contribute to significant increases in Brassica seed size 4. Test the hypothesis that gene(s)/alleles on specific chromosomes of the oilseed rape C genome contribute to variation in seed size. 5. Test the ability of candidate genes to modulate seed size in Brassica

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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