Genomics-led improvement of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in mustard rape for economic and environmental sustainability

拟议的研究是牛顿-巴巴发展计划。总体目标是转移和优化英国在基因组学方面的专业知识，这是一种科学方法，涉及对生物体的全套基因进行并行分析，以改善印度芥菜油菜（Brassica juncea）的经济和环境可持续性。作为研究重点的作物特性（性状）在提案中被印度合作伙伴定义为印度作物面临的最重要挑战。对一系列环境挑战（压力）具有耐受性：真菌（引起白锈病、茎腐病、黑斑病）、病毒（芜菁花叶病毒）、害虫（蚜虫和蝴蝶）和根寄生虫（雨葵）的疾病和侵染以及高温、干旱和盐度条件。特别重要的是，经常同时遇到多种压力，并且可以预期在容忍机制之间的相互作用和权衡，因此需要对这一广泛的挑战采取综合办法。在性状之间的广泛相关性分析中，将包括对植物产生的化学物质类别变化的关联评估，这些化学物质被认为在对环境胁迫的耐受性中起作用。为了使这项计划能够彻底和成功地进行，我们组建了一个由代表17个机构的39名共同申请科学家组成的财团。方法是建立一个技术工具包，以帮助了解自然产生的容差的基础，并使今后的工作能够加强它们。其中包括建立一个平台，使遗传多样性芥菜油菜品种群体的性状变异与基因序列和基因活性（表达）的变异相关联，从而使分子标记的开发能够加速育种和确定候选致病基因，以供进一步研究。将为芥菜油菜建立超越现有自然变异范围的非转基因改良方法，包括用于辐射育种和与相关物种广泛杂交的传统方法的现代化资源，以及基因组编辑的新兴技术。作为约克大学和德里大学南校区当前作物基因组学和技术项目“扩大芥菜和油菜种子质量和产量相关性状的遗传多样性”的一部分，在开发芥菜基因组平台方面所获得的经验将为该计划提供支持，该项目将更新以纳入来自芥菜及其祖先物种的新基因组序列。该平台将用于支持该联盟以特性为重点的活动，该活动以约克大学领导的“BBSRC油菜籽可再生工业产品（RIPR）计划”为蓝本。一个特别的特点将是高度整合的研究性质，由世界各国领导人在各自的组成部分提供专业知识。英国的专业知识将转移给印度的合作伙伴，用于芥菜油菜。对芥菜油菜性状的科学认识和改良能力所带来的好处主要是由该联盟的印度成员获得的。然而，它们也将用于改善在英国种植的油菜的相应性状。

The proposed research is a Newton-Bhabha development programme. The overall aim is to transfer and optimize UK expertise in genomics, which is the scientific approach involving analysis in parallel of the complete set of genes of an organism, for improvement of both economic and environmental sustainability of mustard rape (Brassica juncea) in India. The crop characteristics (traits) that are the focus of the research were defined by the Indian partners in the proposal as the most important challenges faced by the crop in India. There are tolerances to the range of environmental challenges (stresses): diseases and infestations from fungi (causing white rust, stem rot, black spot), viruses (Turnip mosaic virus), pests (aphids and butterflies) and root parasites (broomrape) and conditions of high temperatures, drought and salinity. Of particular importance is that multiple stresses are often encountered simultaneously and interactions and trade-offs between tolerance mechanisms can be expected, necessitating an integrated approach across this broad range of challenges. Included in a broad correlation analysis between the traits will be an assessment of associations with variation in classes of chemicals produced by the plants that are recognised as playing roles in tolerance to environmental stresses. To enable this programme to be undertaken thoroughly and successfully, we have assembled a consortium comprising 39 co-applicant scientists representing 17 institutions. The approach is to establish a toolkit of technologies to help understand the basis of naturally-occurring tolerances and to enable future work to enhance them. These include the establishment of a platform enabling the association of trait variation in panels of genetically diverse mustard rape varieties with variation of both gene sequences and gene activity (expression) to enable the development of molecular markers to accelerate breeding and identify candidate causative genes for further investigation. Non-GM approaches for improvement beyond the range of existing natural variation will be established for mustard rape, including modernised resources for the traditional approaches of radiation breeding and wide crossing with related species, and the emerging technology of genome editing.Underpinning the programme is the experience gained in developing the Brassica juncea genomic platform currently used by the University of York and University of Delhi South Campus as part of their current Crop Genomics and Technologies (CGAT) project "Broadening the genetic diversity underpinning seed quality and yield related traits in mustard rape and oilseed rape" will be updated to incorporate emerging genome sequences from B. juncea and its progenitor species. The platform will be used to support the trait-focussed activities of the consortium, modelled on the University of York-led "BBSRC Renewable Industrial Products from rapeseed (RIPR) programme". A particular feature will be the highly integrated nature of the research with expertise contributed by world-leaders in the respective components being shared. UK expertise will be transferred to partners in India for application in mustard rape. The benefits of scientific understanding and ability to improve traits in mustard rape accrue primarily to the Indian members of the consortium. However, they will also be of use for improving the corresponding traits in oilseed rape for cultivation in the UK.