Comparative Genomics of Shoot Branching

射箭系统架构具有重大的农业意义。自然界中发现的许多分枝特征是为了在较长时间内生产的许多小种子之间分配资源，并允许灵活地应对不断变化的环境条件，如养分可获得性或草食动物的破坏。这些特点经常与农业优先事项背道而驰，例如，在狭窄的时间窗口内生产数量较少的较大种子，在分枝习惯上具有较大的一致性可能是首选的。因此，改良产量稳定性的育种与枝条系统结构特征的改善密切相关。在这个项目中合作的团队包含了世界级的专业知识，涵盖了调控分支的关键基因系统。很明显，这些系统在整个高等工厂都在运行。然而，同样明显的是，这些系统在不同物种中的运作方式也存在重要差异。因此，我们建议对这些基因系统、它们的作用以及它们在一系列物种中的相互作用进行系统的比较研究。这将成为开发标记辅助育种优化分枝习惯的工具包的基础，并在其被公众接受时用于分枝的基因改造。

Shoot system architecture is of major agricultural significance. Many of the branching characteristics found in nature are selected to distribute resources between many small seed produced over an extended time period, and to allow flexibility in response to changing environmental conditions such as nutrient availability, or damage by herbivory. These features frequently work against agricultural priorities where, for example, the production of a smaller number of larger seed over a narrow window of time, with a greater uniformity in branching habit may be preferred. Thus breeding for improved yield stability is intimately associated with improvements in shoot system architectural characteristics. The groups collaborating in this project encompass world class expertise across the key gene systems that regulate branching. It is already clear that these systems operate throughout higher plants. However, it is equally clear that there are important differences in the way the systems operate in different species. We therefore propose a systematic comparative study of these gene systems, their actions, and their interactions in a range of species. This will form the basis for the development of a tool kit for marker assisted breeding for optimised branching habit, and for genetic modification of branching, when it becomes publicly acceptable.