Engineering root architecture using a predictive integrative systems biology approach

使用预测综合系统生物学方法工程根架构

• 批准号: BB/G023972/1
• 负责人: Malcolm Bennett
• 金额: $ 104.8万
• 依托单位: University of Nottingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2010 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FG023972%2F1
• 关键词: Engineering; root; architecture; using; predictive

Food security represents a major global issue. This was also a major problem in the middle of the last century when food production failed to keep pace with population growth. In this latter case, plant breeders were able to develop new high yielding dwarf varieties of rice and wheat that responded to high inputs of fertilisers. The so-called 'Green Revolution' has delivered 50 years of food security. However, western societies are increasingly demanding that agriculture becomes more sustainable, through reductions in chemical inputs; whilst in the developing world, farmers with little access to fertilisers, need crops that can grow in infertile soils. In both cases, developing crops with improved nutrient use efficiency would provide the solution. Root architecture critically influences nutrient and water uptake efficiency. For example, rooting depth impacts the efficient acquisition of soil nitrogen (and water) since nitrate leaches deep into the soil. In contrast, phosphate use efficiency could be significantly improved without increasing root depth by manipulating the angle of root growth to better explore the top soil where this macronutrient accumulates. Despite this knowledge, root architecture has not been a trait selected for by plant breeders in major cereal crops. However, the need to improve nutrient use efficiency in crops through manipulating root architecture is becoming increasingly urgent. Its impact on world agriculture would be such that the crop scientist Jonathan Lynch has called for a 'Second Green Revolution' focussing on root architecture, and that this should be made 'a priority for plant biology in the 21st century'. This research proposal aims to first identify the genes that regulate root architecture in the simple plant Arabidopsis thaliana, then use this information to manipulate equivalent genes in cereals, with the ultimate goal of altering their root architecture and improving nutrient use efficiency. The ambitious programme of research relies on a new X-ray based technique (called Micro-CT) that can image the 3D arrangement of living roots in soil. We will use the Micro-CT technique to identify Arabidopsis mutants (which lack a specific gene) with an altered arrangement of roots. This will enable us to pinpoint exactly which genes regulate root architecture. Identifying equivalent genes in cereal crops is relatively straight forward since barley and rice are distantly related to Arabidopsis. We will then use advanced genetic techniques to inactivate these barley and rice genes and then examine their consequences on root architecture and nutrient use efficiency. Promising rice and barley lines will be made available to professional breeders at IRRI and SCRI with the ultimate aim to introgress their modified root traits into elite crop varieties.

粮食安全是一个重大的全球问题。这也是上世纪中叶粮食生产跟不上人口增长的一个主要问题。在后一种情况下，植物育种者能够培育出新的高产矮化水稻和小麦品种，以应对高肥料投入。所谓的“绿色革命”已经实现了 50 年的粮食安全。然而，西方社会越来越要求通过减少化学品投入来使农业变得更加可持续；而在发展中国家，农民无法获得化肥，他们需要能够在贫瘠土壤中生长的作物。在这两种情况下，开发提高养分利用效率的作物都可以提供解决方案。根系结构严重影响养分和水分的吸收效率。例如，生根深度会影响土壤氮（和水）的有效获取，因为硝酸盐会渗入土壤深处。相比之下，通过控制根系生长角度，更好地探索大量营养素积累的表层土壤，可以在不增加根部深度的情况下显着提高磷酸盐的利用效率。尽管有了这些知识，根结构还没有成为植物育种者在主要谷类作物中选择的性状。然而，通过控制根系结构来提高作物养分利用效率的需求变得越来越迫切。它对世界农业的影响如此之大，以至于农作物科学家乔纳森·林奇（Jonathan Lynch）呼吁进行“第二次绿色革命”，重点关注根系结构，并且这应该成为“21世纪植物生物学的优先事项”。该研究计划旨在首先识别简单植物拟南芥中调节根结构的基因，然后利用这些信息来操纵谷物中的等效基因，最终目标是改变其根结构并提高养分利用效率。这项雄心勃勃的研究计划依赖于一种新的基于 X 射线的技术（称为 Micro-CT），该技术可以对土壤中活根的 3D 排列进行成像。我们将使用 Micro-CT 技术来识别根排列发生改变的拟南芥突变体（缺乏特定基因）。这将使我们能够准确地查明哪些基因调节根结构。由于大麦和水稻与拟南芥有远缘关系，因此鉴定谷类作物中的等效基因相对简单。然后，我们将使用先进的遗传技术使这些大麦和水稻基因失活，然后检查它们对根结构和养分利用效率的影响。有前途的水稻和大麦品系将提供给 IRRI 和 SCRI 的专业育种者，最终目标是将其改良的根性状引入优良作物品种中。

项目成果

Phenotyping pipeline reveals major seedling root growth QTL in hexaploid wheat.

• DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv006
• 发表时间: 2015-04
• 期刊: Journal of experimental botany
• 影响因子: 6.9
• 作者: Atkinson JA;Wingen LU;Griffiths M;Pound MP;Gaju O;Foulkes MJ;Le Gouis J;Griffiths S;Bennett MJ;King J;Wells DM
• 通讯作者: Wells DM

The roots of future rice harvests.

• DOI: 10.1186/s12284-014-0029-y
• 发表时间: 2014-12
• 期刊: Rice (New York, N.Y.)
• 作者: Ahmadi N;Audebert A;Bennett MJ;Bishopp A;de Oliveira AC;Courtois B;Diedhiou A;Diévart A;Gantet P;Ghesquière A;Guiderdoni E;Henry A;Inukai Y;Kochian L;Laplaze L;Lucas M;Luu DT;Manneh B;Mo X;Muthurajan R;Périn C;Price A;Robin S;Sentenac H;Sine B;Uga Y;Véry AA;Wissuwa M;Wu P;Xu J
• 通讯作者: Xu J

Mapping the site of action of the Green Revolution hormone gibberellin.

绘制绿色革命激素赤霉素的作用位点。

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301609110
• 发表时间: 2013
• 期刊: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
• 影响因子: 11.1
• 作者: Band LR

A scanner system for high-resolution quantification of variation in root growth dynamics of Brassica rapa genotypes.

• DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru048
• 发表时间: 2014-05
• 期刊: Journal of experimental botany
• 影响因子: 6.9
• 作者: Adu MO;Chatot A;Wiesel L;Bennett MJ;Broadley MR;White PJ;Dupuy LX
• 通讯作者: Dupuy LX

An Updated Protocol for High Throughput Plant Tissue Sectioning.

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01721
• 发表时间: 2017
• 期刊: Frontiers in plant science
• 影响因子: 5.6
• 作者: Atkinson JA;Wells DM
• 通讯作者: Wells DM