Award details

201j: Molecular biology of ABA synthesis and signalling in relation to water stress and dormancy

Reference	BBS/E/H/00031416
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Andrew Thompson
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Warwick
Department	Warwick HRI
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	383,670
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/2000
Duration	36 months

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the role and importance of genes potentially involved in the response of plants to abiotic stress. The project will focus on the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in mediating stress response, and genes required for ABA metabolism and signalling will be studied. A range of transgenic and other mutant plants will be constructed in which the expression of key genes is modified using tomato as a model plant. The roles of these genes in ABA synthesis, signalling and stress tolerance will be evaluated by measurements of hormone levels and physiological parameters such as photosynthesis, water use, growth, development and yield. The role of ABA in developmental processes such as dormancy will also be studied using transgenic plants with altered ABA levels. Novel genes will be isolated through screening mutagenised plant populations, and the new technology of phage display cDNA libraries will be used for identifying genes encoding novel hormone signalling components. This work is relevant to themes 1 and 3 of the Plant and Microbial Sciences committee. Theme 1 (The control of gene expression and the action of gene products in the whole organism), is relevant because the function of individual genes in plant stress responses will be studied in transgenic plants. Theme 3 (Photosynthesis, respiration and partitioning of resources) is relevant because the project will provide knowledge about 'resource allocation and stress in plants'. The work will further the basic understanding of plant responses to environmental stress, and the roles of specific genes. Expected outputs would be in the form of scientific publications, novel gene sequences and transgenic plants. The understanding provided will be valuable in identifying strategies for crop improvement towards maintaining and increasing yield in a time of expected global environmental change. Relevant strategies would include attempts to genetically engineer stress tolerant crops, and to select stress tolerant lines from breeding programmes. The ability to control plant dormancy through manipulating plant hormone signalling may have applications in post-harvest storage.

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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