Mapping Of Arabidopsis Could Lead To New Generation Of Hybrid Plants [View All]

[Shyriath]

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/food-03f.html

In a study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., scientists have accurately mapped the genes of the common mustard weed, Arabidopsis. The achievement may lead to the next generation of genetically modified crops that can grow faster, produce more food and resist disease.

The study, which appears in the Oct. 31 issue of Science, reveals the existence of nearly 6,000 genes, about one-third of the genes that exist in Arabidopsis. Knowing these genes and how they work can allow researchers - in a short period of time - to use them to change the characteristics of other plants.

"Arabidopsis has all the genes a plant needs," said Joe Ecker, Salk professor of plant biology. "All flowering plants are closely related, and so the genes that encode various traits are also shared. It's possible, then, to take a gene for flowering from Arabidopsis and insert it into rice or poplar, and have that gene function."