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602: Co-evolutionary genomics of parasitica symbioses in arabidopsis thaliana

Reference	BBS/E/H/00EH0226
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Eric Holub
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Warwick
Department	Warwick HRI
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	307,435
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2005
End date	31/03/2007
Duration	24 months

Abstract

Since the first disease resistance genes began to be deciphered from crop species and Arabidopsis in the mid-1990s, we have begun to appreciate the complexity of disease resistance as a polygenic process in plants, with many component features that are analogous or even closely related in DNA sequence to components of innate immunity found in animals. The time is now right to embark on using Arabidopsis and several natural parasites to pursue the exciting frontier of co-evolutionary genomics. There are two facets of this research including molecular archaeology, which is already an established discipline that emphasizes comparative studies in DNA sequence information within and among related species to infer how organisms may have evolved. Availability of DNA sequence from whole genomes of both host and parasites also enables scope for an exciting new discipline of epidemiological genomics, using DNA level changes in temporal and spatial studies to discover genes that correlate and possibly determine fitness of the host or parasite in different environments. Molecular archaeology and pidemiological genomics may combine to reveal the role of host genes in driving speciation of micro-organisms, and possibly visa versa. We are currently establishing examples and developing tools that will enable empirical investigations. For instance, a membrane receptor-like protein that confers resistance or susceptibility to different parasite variants will be developed for cost/benefit experiments. An essential tool for population biology will be standard protocols for managing disease and carry-over of host and pathogen seed banks in controlled microcosm experiments. Engineering pathogens as physiological probes for surveyance and monitoring of R-genes in microcosm and natural populations is also being developed.

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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