Using SP1 to control plastid development and yield in crop plants

随着人口的快速增长，到2050年将达到90亿，而且自然资源的压力越来越大，提高作物产量和生产率、适应气候变化和次优生长条件的驱动力比以往任何时候都更加强烈。为了满足这些需求，开发新的、改良的作物品种将是至关重要的。通过之前BBSRC资助的对一种名为拟南芥(Arabitopsis Thaliana)的小型模式植物的研究，我们取得了一项重大突破，可能对作物产量和粮食安全具有重要影响。我们发现了一种名为SP1的基因，它控制着植物发育的许多重要方面。更具体地说，SP1调控植物细胞内称为叶绿体的结构的发展，叶绿体负责光合作用。我们相信，通过改变作物中的SP1活性，我们将能够对作物发育的各个方面进行控制，这些方面依赖于叶绿体相关功能，包括谷物发育、幼苗形成和叶片衰老。优化这些参数可以显著提高作物产量。这项研究将使用一个重要的作物模型进行。该项目的一个重要目标将是在农作物中实现SP1技术的原理证明，这最终可能导致技术的商业发展，造福社会。

With the human population growing rapidly and set to reach 9 billion by 2050, and because of the ever increasing pressure on natural resources, the drivers for increased crop yield and productivity, and for resilience to climate change and sub-optimal growing conditions, are stronger than ever. To meet these demands it will be essential to develop new, improved crop varieties. Through previous BBSRC-funded research on a small model plant called thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), we made a significant breakthrough that may have important implications for crop yields and food security. We discovered a gene called SP1 that controls many important aspects of plant development. More specifically, SP1 regulates the development of structures inside plant cells called chloroplasts, which are responsible for photosynthesis. By altering SP1 activity in crops, we believe that we will be able to exert control over diverse aspects of crop development that dependent on chloroplast-linked functions, including grain development, seedling establishment, and leaf aging. Optimization of these parameters may enable significant gains in crop yields. The research will be conducted using an important crop model. An important objective of the project will be to achieve of proof-of-principle of the SP1 technology in crop plants, which ultimately may lead to the commercial development of technology for the benefit of society.