Arabidopsis 2010: Essential Gene Functions in Arabidopsis Seed Development

项目简介本项目将为鉴定拟南芥种子发育过程中具有重要功能的基因奠定基础。这些信息是拟南芥2010项目的核心，也是确定模式植物生长发育所需的最小基因集的核心。该项目将重点关注那些在被突变破坏时产生可见种子表型的基因。因此，选择用于分析的基因网络不是由共同的生化或分子特征来定义的，而是由它们是必不可少的这一事实来定义的。据估计，拟南芥含有500个正常种子发育所需的EMB基因和200个正常种子色素沉着所需的基因。这里概述的方法是基于突变等位基因的克隆来协调收集、分析和展示这些基因中一半以上的信息。有关基本基因和相应突变体的信息将从各种公共和私人来源获得，并将其合成以供社区有效利用。由此产生的对这些不同基因的生物学功能的见解将补充其他实验室对特定基因产物的生化活性的研究。其结果将是在细胞、有机体和进化背景下对基本基因功能的综合看法。项目目标是：(1)结合使用正向和反向遗传学来接近克隆EMB基因的饱和；(2)规范相应突变体的表型特征；(3)收集种子色素突变体的相关信息；(4)通过ABRC获得所有突变系的种子；(5)了解这些基因在生长发育中的功能；(6)通过表达研究和比较序列分析确定为什么这些基因是必不可少的；(7)将这些信息整合到一个简单而强大的数据库中，该数据库的格式与TAIR兼容；(8)建立公共释放私营部门资源的模式；(9)制定外展和培训计划，以补充拟南芥功能基因组学的研究工作。项目成果包括向公众提供300种不同EMB基因中500个突变缺陷的合成信息和种子库；另外100个色素突变体在75个基因中存在缺陷；有价值的年轻种子（野生型和选择突变体）活性基因表达数据；还有一个数据库，可以作为分析和展示大量突变体信息的模型。项目网页（www.seedgenes.org）将通过TAIR （www.arabidopsis.org）链接。该数据库的第一版定于2002年3月发布。届时将详细介绍前100个基本基因的概况。该项目建立在俄克拉何马州立大学和先正达之间现有的合作基础上，在过去的4年里，他们已经鉴定出350个标记的emb突变体，并为其中约200个突变体提供了初步的序列数据。这代表着企业对一个项目的重大投资，而用联邦资金来复制这个项目既困难又昂贵。目前的提案包括在最低限度的限制下大量公开发布私人材料，并提供一种机制来收集和分析社区范围内关于基本基因的信息。这样的努力在2010年项目开始时是必要的，以便将注意力集中在具有重要生物学功能的基因上。

0114866Meinke PROJECT SUMMARYThis project will establish a foundation for identifying every Arabidopsis gene with an essential function during seed development. This information is central to the Arabidopsis 2010 Project and to identifying the minimal gene set required for growth and development of a model plant. The project will focus on genes that give a visible seed phenotype when disrupted by mutation. The network of genes chosen for analysis is therefore not defined by shared biochemical or molecular features but rather by the fact that they are essential. Arabidopsis contains an estimated 500 such EMB genes required for normal seed development and another 200 genes required for normal seed pigmentation. The approach outlined here is to coordinate the collection, analysis, and presentation of information on more than half of these genes based on cloning of mutant alleles. Information on essential genes and the corresponding mutants will be obtained from a variety of public and private sources and synthesized for efficient use by the community. The resulting insights into biological functions of these diverse genes will complement research in other labs on the biochemical activities of specific gene products. The result will be an integrated view of essential gene functions within a cellular, organismal, and evolutionary context. Project objectives are to: (1) use a combination of forward and reverse genetics to approach saturation for cloned EMB genes; (2) standardize phenotypic characterization of the corresponding mutants; (3) collect related information on seed pigment mutants; (4) make seeds for all mutant lines available through ABRC; (5) understand the functions of these genes in growth and development; (6) determine through expression studies and comparative sequence analysis why these genes are essential; (7) integrate this information into a simple but robust database with a format compatible with TAIR; (8) establish a model for public release of private sector resources; and (9) develop outreach and training programs that complement research efforts in Arabidopsis functional genomics. Project deliverables include public access to synthesized information and seed stocks for 500 mutants defective in 300 different EMB genes; similar information for another 100 pigment mutants defective in 75 genes; valuable expression data for genes active in young seeds (wild type and selected mutants); and a database that should serve as a model for analyzing and presenting information on large collections of mutants. The project web page (www.seedgenes.org) will be linked through TAIR (www.arabidopsis.org). Release of the first version of the database is scheduled for March 2002. Profiles of the first 100 essential genes examined in detail will be presented at that time. This project builds upon an existing collaboration between Oklahoma State University and Syngenta that has over the past 4 years resulted in identification of 350 tagged emb mutants and preliminary sequence data for about 200 of these mutants. This represents a significant corporate investment into a project that would be difficult and expensive to duplicate with federal funding. The current proposal includes substantial public release of private materials with minimal restrictions and provides a mechanism for collecting and analyzing community-wide information on essential genes. Such efforts are needed at the start of the 2010 Project to focus attention on genes with important biological functions.