Insertional Mutagenesis Tools for Functional Genomics in Rice

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Award AbstractRice, the second plant genome to be completely sequenced, has a relatively small genome of about 430 million base pairs. While rice is also amenable to genetic studies and transformation and is a model system for genome studies of the cereals, it is also an important crop. Currently, there are few tools for identifying the functions of sequenced genes for rice that are readily available to the research community. One of the most effective approaches to deciphering gene functions is through gene disruption by DNA insertions. In this project, we will develop efficient transposon tagging strategies for large-scale insertion mutagenesis in rice. Stable insertion lines will be generated containing random insertions of the maize En/Spm transposons in japonica rice cv. Nipponbare, which is the cultivar selected for the International Rice Genome Sequencing Project. A publicly accessible database for reverse genetics containing sequences of DNA flanking insertions will be established, and the sequences will be linked to the rice genome database and the rice genome physical map. Overall, this project should develop a valuable resource for functional genomics in rice, as well as other cereals.