Award details

Manipulation of recombination to modify quality and stress-tolerance in forage and amenity species

Reference	BBS/E/G/00003122
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Huw Thomas
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res
Department	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	932,257
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1999
End date	31/03/2003
Duration	48 months

Abstract

Two features of Lolium x Festuca hybrids make them unique among crop species. 1. The chromosomes recombine freely in the interspecific hybrid. 2. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), differentiates the two sets of chromosomes in the hybrid cell. Hybrids or amphiploids are fertile in many species combinations and the recombined chromosomes in the progeny can be identified with GISH. Lolium species provide high quality forage but lack the stress tolerance of Festuca species. Traits can be transferred from Festuca to Lolium and the chromosome segment carrying the genes for that trait visualized by GISH. We have links with research centres across Europe for to test hybrids in different environmental conditions. Lolium/Festuca hybrids are ideal for studying and manipulating recombination as GISH on meiotic chromosomes can show if chiasmata are between homologous or homoeologous chromosomes. In hybrid derivatives, it is possible to see the position of homoeologous recombination that occurred in the preceding meiosis. Anther culture of Lolium-Festuca hybrids has recovered gene combinations rarely in conventional crossing programmes. Project objectives: 1. Create Lolium genotypes expressing traits derived from Festuca. 2. Develop cytological markers to identify chromosomes to examine structural changes in between and within species and relate with genome evolution. 3. Identify genetic markers to tag traits previously located to introgressed chromosome segments. 4. In collaboration with other projects, isolated and clone genes for stress resistance. 5. Establish stable diploid and polyploid lines combining desirable characters from more than one species. 6. Use the attributes of Lolium-Festuca hybrids to analyse the effects of genotype and nucleotype on chromosome synapsis and recombination. 7. Develop in situ hybridization to DNA fibres to analyse the macro organization of sequences and genes. 8. Coordinate research with other groups in Europe.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
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

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search