LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evi ....LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evidence that one group of fungal pathogens is particularly adept at acquiring new genes that enable them to cause new diseases. We will determine the mechanism and frequency of gene transfer in this group. The work had fundamental significance in evolutionary biology, in the emergence of new diseases and in the use of genetically-modified organisms.Read moreRead less
Genetic control of flowering and photoperiodism in pea. The timing of flowering in many plant species is strongly influenced by photoperiod. The mechanisms by which photoperiod controls flowering will be investigated using the garden pea as a model system. New pea mutants impairing photoperiod responses will be identified and characterized, and photoperiod response genes from Arabidopsis will be mapped and used for expression studies in pea. This work will provide important new information about ....Genetic control of flowering and photoperiodism in pea. The timing of flowering in many plant species is strongly influenced by photoperiod. The mechanisms by which photoperiod controls flowering will be investigated using the garden pea as a model system. New pea mutants impairing photoperiod responses will be identified and characterized, and photoperiod response genes from Arabidopsis will be mapped and used for expression studies in pea. This work will provide important new information about the physiological roles of the Arabidopsis genes and the molecular identity of the pea genes. It will add to our knowledge of how flowering is regulated, and this will have important agronomic applications.Read moreRead less
Comparative genetics of flowering and photoperiod responsiveness in legumes. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking ....Comparative genetics of flowering and photoperiod responsiveness in legumes. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking to modify flowering responses to suit particular production strategies, and will help to maintain the strong position of Australia as a world leader in applied aspects of plant/environment interactions. It will also strengthen the international reputation of Australia for high-quality basic research in plant development.Read moreRead less
Mobile signals and the environmental control of flowering - a comparative genetic analysis. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticultu ....Mobile signals and the environmental control of flowering - a comparative genetic analysis. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking to modify flowering responses to suit particular production strategies, and will help to maintain the strong position of Australia as a world leader in applied aspects of plant/environment interactions. It will also strengthen the international reputation of Australia for high-quality basic research in plant development .Read moreRead less
Exploring the gene regulation networks governing mitochondrial biogenesis in Arabidopsis. Mitochondria, subcellular organelles that perform many functions indispensable to plant growth and productivity, are dynamic compartments whose protein complement changes dramatically during plant development and under stress. Yet, the cellular processes that regulate the production of these organelles are virtually unknown. By combining conventional approaches with an extremely powerful holistic method for ....Exploring the gene regulation networks governing mitochondrial biogenesis in Arabidopsis. Mitochondria, subcellular organelles that perform many functions indispensable to plant growth and productivity, are dynamic compartments whose protein complement changes dramatically during plant development and under stress. Yet, the cellular processes that regulate the production of these organelles are virtually unknown. By combining conventional approaches with an extremely powerful holistic method for simultaneously examining the expression patterns of every gene in the model plant Arabidopsis, this project will identify proteins that regulate mitochondrial biosynthesis and uncover the gene networks that these proteins control. The project outcomes will provide new opportunities for the rational manipulation of plant growth and productivity.Read moreRead less
Molecular pathways controlling light-regulated development in legumes. Legumes are widely grown as forage and grain crops and make a substantial contribution to the Australian economy. Light is an important determinant of plant architecture and productivity and we need to know more about how development is regulated by light in this important plant group. The natural light environment faced by plants is complex and varies with crop density, season and time of day. Understanding the interaction o ....Molecular pathways controlling light-regulated development in legumes. Legumes are widely grown as forage and grain crops and make a substantial contribution to the Australian economy. Light is an important determinant of plant architecture and productivity and we need to know more about how development is regulated by light in this important plant group. The natural light environment faced by plants is complex and varies with crop density, season and time of day. Understanding the interaction of photoreceptors and plant hormones in the control of growth is vital for manipulating crops to meet changing agronomic requirements. Training of students in state-of-the art techniques and the generation of new germplasm for use by other researchers and plant breeders will be other significant outcomes of the project.Read moreRead less
Systemic control of nodule proliferation. We aim to clone and characterize the functions of the supernodulation (NTS-1) locus of soybean using positional cloning and functional genomics approaches. Supernodulation fascinatingly results from a mutant Nts-1 gene functioning in the shoot, although the phenotype is expressed as excessive nodule proliferation in the root. The cloned gene will be used to monitor expression changes after inoculation with Bradyrhizobium, treatment with nitrate, nod-fac ....Systemic control of nodule proliferation. We aim to clone and characterize the functions of the supernodulation (NTS-1) locus of soybean using positional cloning and functional genomics approaches. Supernodulation fascinatingly results from a mutant Nts-1 gene functioning in the shoot, although the phenotype is expressed as excessive nodule proliferation in the root. The cloned gene will be used to monitor expression changes after inoculation with Bradyrhizobium, treatment with nitrate, nod-factor, xylem exudates and phytohormones. We will use RT-PCR, in situ hybridisation and reporter gene expression in transgenic plants. Microarray analysis of soybean ESTs (4200 arrayed) will analyse concurrent gene expression changes in both root and shoot.Read moreRead less