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How can Plant Science help to fulfill the Rio + 20 goals
New Biotechnology · Volume 29S · September 2012
Oral 3.4.03 Genetic modification of barley: breeding for improved yield and stress tolerance Ivo Frébort ∗ , Hana Pospíˇsilová, Katarína Mrízová, Eva Jiskrová, Petr Galuszka Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palack´y University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Improvements of yield and resistance against stresses remain the most important goals in the breeding of crops. Our approach is aimed at cytokinins, phytohormones that serve as important signaling molecules in plant cells and tissues, where they control important developmental processes. Cytokinins are irreversibly cleaved by FAD-containing enzyme cytokinin dehydrogenase (EC 1.5.99.12; CKX), which is a principal regulatory factor of cytokinin levels in planta. As shown for model plants, enhanced abiotic stress tolerance can be achieved by lowering cytokinin content in the roots that leads to a selective expansion of the root system. Immature barley embryos were transformed with A. tumefaciens harboring pBRACT209 plasmid constructs for cytokinin dehydrogenase expression under root-specific promoters with vacuolar, plastidial, apoplastic or cytoplasmic targeting. Transgenic plants of T2 generation were already obtained that show up to 10-fold higher CKX activity in the roots than control plants and exhibit more robust root system. Stable homozygous lines are under testing for water and salinity stress tolerance in a greenhouse. Nutrient transport into endosperm is positively regulated by cytokinins; therefore silencing the degradation enzyme in the aleurone layer may lead to an increased grain size and thus improved yield. Transgenic plants with cytokinin dehydrogenase silencing cassette regulated by B-hordein promoter were prepared and will be analyzed in near future. No commercial transgenic crop plant with altered cytokinin levels has so far been released. It will be discussed how these alterations influence various physiological processes during plant ontogenesis, trying to point out possible applications in biotechnology and agriculture. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.064 Oral 3.4.04 Epigenetic basis of adaptation to stress in maize Jose Gutierrez-Marcos School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK Plants are sessile organisms that are known for their adaptive plasticity to the changing environment. In addition to directly influencing on plant growth, environmental changes not only influence gene expression patterns but also affect the stability of the genome. Both of these responses are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms which can also cause phenotypic changes that can be transmitted and remain stable for several generations. In this respect, the formation of “environmental epialleles” and their maintenance represents an important, albeit unexplored, S26
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
source of variation and adaptive power that can be manipulated to improve the way plants adapt to a changing environment. However, the precise mechanisms regulating this epigenetic phenomenon remain unknown. We have investigated the impact that abiotic environmental stress has on the formation of new allelic variants by the genome-wide epigenetic profiling. Our recent work provides evidence of small RNAs directly involved in directing DNA methylation to discrete loci of the maize genome. I will discuss the possible mechanism(s) by which environmental change is able to destabilize the plant epigenome and contribute to the so-called “epigenetic memory” and adaptation to stress in plants. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.065 Stream: Green – Plant & Environmental Biotechnology, Session: New Technologies in Plant Breeding Oral 3.5.01 How can Plant Science help to fulfill the Rio + 20 goals Marc van Montagu a,b a b
European Federation of Biotechnology Ghent University, Belgium
Good governance and a higher yielding but more sustainable agriculture will be essential to progress towards the interconnected goals of fighting poverty and hunger and halting deforestation. The tools of genomics and related ‘omics technologies are bringing novel insights and knowledge regarding plant growth and development, stress resistance and productivity to support and accelerate conventional approaches to plant improvement. Traditional breeding through selection and backcrosses, even with the assistance of the novel sequence replacement technologies is too slow to generate the high yielding, stress resistant cultivars needed. This will be particularly so for plantation forestry. To construct the novel plants needed, molecular plant scientists will have to cooperate more closely with agronomists, yield physiologists, pathologists, agriculture economists and most of all with specialists in field trials. The recent progress in DNA and RNA sequencing and processing, isolation and analysis of protein complexes and metabolites generates hope that it will become affordable to obtain molecular data directly from field experiments. The transgenic approach, with the introduction of control elements, altering the expression and stability of key pathways in the food and cash crops of the high poverty areas, should however receive serious attention. For this, plant scientists should unite and explain to society the importance of the Rio + 20 goals for a planet under ecological destruction through overpopulation, climate instability and industrial pollution. Such action can motivate young scientists to take up careers in R&D, through private initiatives or in the public sector to trigger the creation of SMEs needed for this endeavor and to demonstrate to charities, foundations and governments who care about international development that science and scientists can take up the challenge. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.066
Oral 3.4.03 Genetic modification of barley: breeding for improved yield and stress tolerance Ivo Frébort ∗ , Hana Pospíˇsilová, Katarína Mrízová, Eva Jiskrová, Petr Galuszka Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palack´y University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Improvements of yield and resistance against stresses remain the most important goals in the breeding of crops. Our approach is aimed at cytokinins, phytohormones that serve as important signaling molecules in plant cells and tissues, where they control important developmental processes. Cytokinins are irreversibly cleaved by FAD-containing enzyme cytokinin dehydrogenase (EC 1.5.99.12; CKX), which is a principal regulatory factor of cytokinin levels in planta. As shown for model plants, enhanced abiotic stress tolerance can be achieved by lowering cytokinin content in the roots that leads to a selective expansion of the root system. Immature barley embryos were transformed with A. tumefaciens harboring pBRACT209 plasmid constructs for cytokinin dehydrogenase expression under root-specific promoters with vacuolar, plastidial, apoplastic or cytoplasmic targeting. Transgenic plants of T2 generation were already obtained that show up to 10-fold higher CKX activity in the roots than control plants and exhibit more robust root system. Stable homozygous lines are under testing for water and salinity stress tolerance in a greenhouse. Nutrient transport into endosperm is positively regulated by cytokinins; therefore silencing the degradation enzyme in the aleurone layer may lead to an increased grain size and thus improved yield. Transgenic plants with cytokinin dehydrogenase silencing cassette regulated by B-hordein promoter were prepared and will be analyzed in near future. No commercial transgenic crop plant with altered cytokinin levels has so far been released. It will be discussed how these alterations influence various physiological processes during plant ontogenesis, trying to point out possible applications in biotechnology and agriculture. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.064 Oral 3.4.04 Epigenetic basis of adaptation to stress in maize Jose Gutierrez-Marcos School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, UK Plants are sessile organisms that are known for their adaptive plasticity to the changing environment. In addition to directly influencing on plant growth, environmental changes not only influence gene expression patterns but also affect the stability of the genome. Both of these responses are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms which can also cause phenotypic changes that can be transmitted and remain stable for several generations. In this respect, the formation of “environmental epialleles” and their maintenance represents an important, albeit unexplored, S26
www.elsevier.com/locate/nbt
source of variation and adaptive power that can be manipulated to improve the way plants adapt to a changing environment. However, the precise mechanisms regulating this epigenetic phenomenon remain unknown. We have investigated the impact that abiotic environmental stress has on the formation of new allelic variants by the genome-wide epigenetic profiling. Our recent work provides evidence of small RNAs directly involved in directing DNA methylation to discrete loci of the maize genome. I will discuss the possible mechanism(s) by which environmental change is able to destabilize the plant epigenome and contribute to the so-called “epigenetic memory” and adaptation to stress in plants. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.065 Stream: Green – Plant & Environmental Biotechnology, Session: New Technologies in Plant Breeding Oral 3.5.01 How can Plant Science help to fulfill the Rio + 20 goals Marc van Montagu a,b a b
European Federation of Biotechnology Ghent University, Belgium
Good governance and a higher yielding but more sustainable agriculture will be essential to progress towards the interconnected goals of fighting poverty and hunger and halting deforestation. The tools of genomics and related ‘omics technologies are bringing novel insights and knowledge regarding plant growth and development, stress resistance and productivity to support and accelerate conventional approaches to plant improvement. Traditional breeding through selection and backcrosses, even with the assistance of the novel sequence replacement technologies is too slow to generate the high yielding, stress resistant cultivars needed. This will be particularly so for plantation forestry. To construct the novel plants needed, molecular plant scientists will have to cooperate more closely with agronomists, yield physiologists, pathologists, agriculture economists and most of all with specialists in field trials. The recent progress in DNA and RNA sequencing and processing, isolation and analysis of protein complexes and metabolites generates hope that it will become affordable to obtain molecular data directly from field experiments. The transgenic approach, with the introduction of control elements, altering the expression and stability of key pathways in the food and cash crops of the high poverty areas, should however receive serious attention. For this, plant scientists should unite and explain to society the importance of the Rio + 20 goals for a planet under ecological destruction through overpopulation, climate instability and industrial pollution. Such action can motivate young scientists to take up careers in R&D, through private initiatives or in the public sector to trigger the creation of SMEs needed for this endeavor and to demonstrate to charities, foundations and governments who care about international development that science and scientists can take up the challenge. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nbt.2012.08.066