Identifying and exploiting genetic variation controlling seed yield and quality in oilseed crops

能否提供足够的健康食品，在很大程度上取决于农作物种子的产量和质量。油菜是欧盟的一种主要作物，生产用于人类和工业消费的油和用于动物饲料的蛋白质。为了以可持续的方式满足不断增长的需求，需要创造出产量和质量都更高的新品种。有关种子发育及其组成的详细知识已在拟南芥等实验物种中获得。然而，一个主要的挑战是解锁这些知识，以便根据基因功能和有用的遗传变异信息来改良作物。在这项提案中，我们将整合四个关系密切的十字花科植物的种子发育的遗传和表型研究：拟南芥、山葵、山茶和甘蓝型油菜。这些物种的进化间隔不到2000万年，在保持高度保守基因功能的同时，有足够的时间进行广泛的表型分化。每个物种都有互补的遗传资源，用于理解和利用影响关键产量相关性状的基因功能知识。这一建议汇集了一套独特和互补的技能、专门知识和遗传资源，侧重于弥合对种子形成的基本理解和对这一关键农艺过程背后的有用遗传变异的开发之间的差距。这项研究将在三个相互依存的一揽子工作中进行，每个工作包都由一名有既定记录的非政府组织领导，并得到大量机构资源的支持。WP1侧重于利用拟南芥中的诱导和自然变异来识别和理解调节种子大小的基因。这与油菜品种的关联研究有关，这些研究将确定与种子大小和种子产量的详细表型评估相关的遗传变异。这两种方法是相互支持的，并为整合表型和基因功能研究提供了一个框架。WP2侧重于确定胚珠变异的遗传基础，从而确定每果种子数。虽然在拟南芥中基于突变的方法在理解这一核心重要的产量性状方面取得的成功有限，但最近风疹杆菌中胚珠数量增加的进化为识别和表征关键基因提供了一个独特的机会。来自Capsella的结果将与甘蓝型油菜种质资源的关联研究和等位基因挖掘相结合。第三个WP旨在了解甘蓝型油菜和茶树种子发育关键基因同源基因在调节种子形成和成熟中的功能。这将与甘蓝型油菜和山茶中储存化合物的详细多尺度表型相结合。当纳入WP1中的关联分析时，这将为理解和利用遗传变异对种子组成和产量的贡献提供非常丰富的信息资源。

The provision of sufficient healthy food is critically dependent upon the yield and quality of seed from our crop plants. Oilseed rape is a major EU crop producing oil for human and industrial consumption and protein for animal feed. To meet increased demand in a sustainable manner, new cultivars with increased yield and quality need to be created. Detailed knowledge of the development of seeds and their composition has been achieved in experimental species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. However, a major challenge is to unlock this knowledge for improving crops based on information about gene function and useful genetic variation. In this proposal we will integrate genetic and phenotypic studies of seed development in four closely related Brassicaceae: Arabidopsis thaliana; Capsella rubella; Camelina sativa; and Brassica napus. These species are separated by less than 20 million years of evolution, sufficient time for extensive phenotypic divergence while maintaining high potential for conserved gene function. Each species has complementary genetic resources for understanding and utilizing the knowledge of gene functions that influence critical yield-related traits. This proposal brings together a unique and complementary set of skills, expertise and genetic resources focused on bridging the gap between a basic understanding of seed formation and exploitation of useful genetic variation underlying this key agronomic process. The research will be carried out in three interdependent Work Packages each led by a PI with an established track record and backed by substantial institutional resources. WP1 focuses on identifying and understanding genes regulating seed size by using induced and natural variation in Arabidopsis. This is linked to association studies in oilseed rape cultivars that will identify genetic variation associated with detailed phenotypic assessment of seed size and seed yield. These two approaches are mutually supportive and provide a framework for integrating phenotype and gene function studies. WP2 focuses on identifying the genetic basis of variation in ovule and thus seed number per fruit. While mutant-based approaches in Arabidopsis have had limited success in understanding this centrally important yield trait, the recent evolution of increased ovule numbers in C. rubella provides a unique opportunity to identify and characterize key genes. Results from Capsella will be integrated with the association study and allele mining in B. napus germplasm. The third WP aims to understand the function of B. napus and Camelina homologues of key seed-development genes from Arabidopsis in regulating seed formation and maturation. This will be coupled to detailed multiscale phenotyping of storage compounds in B. napus and Camelina. When integrated into association analyses in WP1 this will provide an exceptionally informative resource for understanding and exploiting the contributions of genetic variation to seed composition and yield.