Barley dwarfs acting big in agronomy. Identification of genes and characterization of proteins involved in dwarfism, lodging resistance and crop yield

大麦是一种重要的粮食作物，既是主要的动物饲料作物，也是麦芽饮料或主食的基础。目前，大麦在全球谷类作物产量方面排名第四。在世界人口不断增长以及不可预见的气候变化和地下水枯竭的情况下，积累有关谷物生长和产量增益率的知识非常重要。北欧遗传资源中心拥有通过辐射或化学处理产生的大麦突变的主要集合。大麦品种的一个表型群是矮秆突变体(直立突变体、短裂突变体、半矮突变体、乌苏突变体)。它们的特点是穗部紧凑，产量高，秸秆短而硬，增强了植株的抗倒伏能力。显然，它们具有实用价值，但它们也具有科学价值，因为人们对植物矮化发育背后的基因几乎一无所知。该项目的目的是通过使用卡尔斯伯格实验室最先进的基因克隆技术来识别和分离携带突变的基因。识别的基因将与突变的表型相联系，以揭示基因的总体功能。一个或两个基因将被过度表达，由此产生的重组蛋白将进行生化和结构表征。对突变如何影响蛋白质的洞察将特别展示蛋白质的功能。已确定的基因及其突变等位基因将在嘉士伯啤酒厂的大麦育种计划中进行测试。

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important cereal grain which serves as major animal fodder crop as well as basis for malt beverages or staple food. Currently barley is ranked fourth in terms of quantity of cereal crops produced worldwide. In times of a constantly growing world population in conjunction with an unforeseeable climate change and groundwater depletion, the accumulation of knowledge concerning cereal growth and rate of yield gain is important. The Nordic Genetic Resource Center holds a major collection of barley mutants produced by irradiation or chemical treatment. One phenotypic group of barley varieties are dwarf mutants (erectoides, brachytic, semidwarf, uzu). They are characterized by a compact spike and high rate of yield while the straw is short and stiff, enhancing the lodging resistance of the plant. Obviously they are of applied interest, but they are also of scientific interest as virtually nothing is known about the genes behind the development of plant dwarfism. The aim of this project is to identify and isolate the genes carrying the mutations by using state of the art techniques for gene cloning at the Carlsberg Laboratory. The identified genes will be connected with the mutant phenotype to reveal the gene function in general. One or two genes will be overexpressed and the resulting recombinant proteins will be biochemically and structurally characterized. The insights how the mutation effects the protein will display the protein function in particular. Identified genes and their mutant alleles will be tested in the barley breeding program of the Carlsberg brewery.