Award details

Manipulation of environmental responses and development in forage grasses

Reference	BBS/E/G/00003391
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Andrew Bettany
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res
Department	Inst of Grassland and Environmental Res Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	305,709
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	24 months

Abstract

During growth and development plants are subjected to a variety of environmental stresses such as heat, cold, drought and anaerobiosis which can result in reduced growth rates and altered development, and ultimately to a reduction in crop quantity and quality. An increased understanding of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of tolerance, resistance and adaptation that some plants use to cope with these stresses (RO 612374, C J Howarth) would offer new possibilities via genetic engineering and gene transfer techniques both to alter the expression of stress induced genes in transgenic plants by interference with the processes of transcription and translation and for the transfer of genes conferring stress tolerance between unrelated species. Modification of the responses of perennial grasses to environmental stress, particularly extremes of temperature, by the application of genetic manipulation techniques will be undertaken. Initially the cellular mechanisms governing such responses will be studied to assess appropriate sites for genetic intervention. Cell and tissue culture systems will be used for evaluating the expression and functions of native and foreign stress genes. Subsequently specific genes induced by or associated with thermal stress will be identified, cloned and expression sought in transformed cells and regenerated plants. In particular the biochemical function and physiological importance of thermal stress induced proteins in induced thermotolerance and hardening will be investigated initially by studying the effects of constitutive overexpression of individual stress protein genes, such as the well characterised heat shock proteins (hsp), and ultimately by utilising antisense RNA techniques to reduce gene transcription. The ability to produce genetically transformed plants offers new opportunities for modifying plant responses and development as well as for studying the regulation of gene expression and will eventually provide novel material for plant breeding programmes. While uptake and expression of foreign genes in cell suspension derived protoplasts of forage grasses as well as plant regeneration from isolated protoplasts of the major forage grasses has been achieved in a previous RO, further work will be needed to develop methods for producing transgenic grasses. Cell cultures which regenerate to callus or to plants will be used to determine rates of stable transformation of protoplast derived cells. Other methods of direct DNA transfer to grass cells will also be evaluated, in particular, microprojectile bombardment of cells and tissues will be used to identify suitable gene constructs giving high levels of expression in grasses. This will aid the recovery of stably transformed plants via direct gene transfer to protoplasts and improve understanding of the role of promoters and other sequences controlling gene expression in grass cells. Means will also be sought to manipulate cell cultures so as to control the loss of embryogenic potential, to reduce the frequency of albinoism and to improve the regeneration of fertile plants and to determine the importance of somaclonal variation (RO 17302450), M W Humphreys).

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
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

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