Activation-Tagged and Deletion Mutants and cDNA Microarrays for Functional Genomics of Rice

水稻基因组测序项目正在定义数以千计的新水稻基因。然而，公共部门的研究人员尚未获得确定这些基因功能所需的关键工具。为了弥补这一不足，将开发新的方法来产生插入突变体集合，并在互补的水稻缺失突变体集合中检测突变基因。第一个目标是开发和测试使用Ac/DS系统创建激活标签水稻突变体的载体。激活标签可以识别基因敲除突变体和表现基因过度表达的突变体。这些载体将包含化学诱导的启动子，从而允许DS元件的受控转座。第二个目标是开发和优化一种高通量的检测现有缺失突变集合中突变基因的方法。该策略是使用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)从许多突变的DNA池中快速检测突变基因。通过这种方法快速检测突变基因，将能够识别特定感兴趣基因缺失的突变。该项目的国际维度将丰富博士后研究员的培训经验，扩大研究的影响。

Rice genome sequencing projects are defining thousands of new rice genes. However, the critical tools required to determine the functions of these genes are not yet available to public-sector researchers. To remedy this deficiency, novel approaches to generate collections of insertion mutants and to detect mutated genes in a complementary set of rice deletion mutants will be developed. The first objective is to develop and test vectors for creating activation-tagged rice mutants using the Ac/Ds system. Activation tagging allows the identification of gene knockout mutants and mutants exhibiting gene over-expression. The vectors will contain chemical-induced promoters that will allow the controlled transposition of the Ds element. The second objective is to develop and optimize a high throughput protocol for the detection of mutated genes in an existing deletion mutant collection. The strategy is to use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the mutated genes rapidly in pools of DNA from many mutants. The rapid detection of mutated genes by this protocol will allow the identification of mutants with deletions in specific genes of interest. The international dimension of the project will enrich the training experience of the postdoctoral fellows and extend the impact of the research.