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Davies JP, Christensen CA. Developing Transgenic Agronomic Traits for Crops: Targets, Methods, and Challenges. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1864:343-365. [PMID: 30415346 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8778-8_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed a surge of investment by the agricultural biotechnology industry in the development of transgenic agronomic traits. These are traits that improve yield performance by modifying endogenous physiological processes such as energy capture, nutrient utilization, and stress tolerance. In this chapter we provide a foundation for understanding these fundamental processes and then outline approaches that have been taken to use this knowledge for yield improvement. We characterize the current status of product development pipelines in the industry and illustrate the trait discovery process with three important examples-bacterial cold-shock proteins, alanine aminotransferase, and auxin-regulated genes. The challenges with developing and commercializing an agronomic trait product are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Davies
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Cory A Christensen
- Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Zhang H, Li Y, Zhu JK. Developing naturally stress-resistant crops for a sustainable agriculture. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:989-996. [PMID: 30478360 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0309-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
A major problem facing humanity is that our numbers are growing but the availability of land and fresh water for agriculture is not. This problem is being exacerbated by climate change-induced increases in drought, and other abiotic stresses. Stress-resistant crops are needed to ensure yield stability under stress conditions and to minimize the environmental impacts of crop production. Evolution has created thousands of species of naturally stress-resistant plants (NSRPs), some of which have already been subjected to human domestication and are considered minor crops. Broader cultivation of these minor crops will diversify plant agriculture and the human diet, and will therefore help improve global food security and human health. More research should be directed toward understanding and utilizing NSRPs. Technologies are now available that will enable researchers to rapidly improve the genetics of NSRPs, with the goal of increasing NSRP productivity while retaining NSRP stress resistance and nutritional value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhang
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Research, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Zimmermann C, Eaton A, Lanter B, Roper J, Hurley B, Delaney B. Extended exposure duration of cultured intestinal epithelial cell monolayers in characterizing hazardous and non-hazardous proteins. Food Chem Toxicol 2018; 115:451-459. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2018.03.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Delaney B. In vitro studies with human intestinal epithelial cell line monolayers for protein hazard characterization. Food Chem Toxicol 2017; 110:425-433. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Beatty PH, Klein MS, Fischer JJ, Lewis IA, Muench DG, Good AG. Understanding Plant Nitrogen Metabolism through Metabolomics and Computational Approaches. PLANTS 2016; 5:plants5040039. [PMID: 27735856 PMCID: PMC5198099 DOI: 10.3390/plants5040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of plant metabolism could provide a direct mechanism for improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops. One of the major barriers to achieving this outcome is our poor understanding of the complex metabolic networks, physiological factors, and signaling mechanisms that affect NUE in agricultural settings. However, an exciting collection of computational and experimental approaches has begun to elucidate whole-plant nitrogen usage and provides an avenue for connecting nitrogen-related phenotypes to genes. Herein, we describe how metabolomics, computational models of metabolism, and flux balance analysis have been harnessed to advance our understanding of plant nitrogen metabolism. We introduce a model describing the complex flow of nitrogen through crops in a real-world agricultural setting and describe how experimental metabolomics data, such as isotope labeling rates and analyses of nutrient uptake, can be used to refine these models. In summary, the metabolomics/computational approach offers an exciting mechanism for understanding NUE that may ultimately lead to more effective crop management and engineered plants with higher yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrin H Beatty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 85 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
| | - Matthias S Klein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Jeffrey J Fischer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Ian A Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Douglas G Muench
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Allen G Good
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 85 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.
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Han M, Wong J, Su T, Beatty PH, Good AG. Identification of Nitrogen Use Efficiency Genes in Barley: Searching for QTLs Controlling Complex Physiological Traits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1587. [PMID: 27818673 PMCID: PMC5073129 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Over the past half century, the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers has markedly increased crop yields, but with considerable negative effects on the environment and human health. Consequently, there has been a strong push to reduce the amount of N fertilizer used by maximizing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops. One approach would be to use classical genetics to improve the NUE of a crop plant. This involves both conventional breeding and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in combination with marker-assisted selection (MAS) to track key regions of the chromosome that segregate for NUE. To achieve this goal, one of initial steps is to characterize the NUE-associated genes, then use the profiles of specific genes to combine plant physiology and genetics to improve plant performance. In this study, on the basis of genetic homology and expression analysis, barley candidate genes from a variety of families that exhibited potential roles in enhancing NUE were identified and mapped. We then performed an analysis of QTLs associated with NUE in field trials and further analyzed their map-location data to narrow the search for these candidate genes. These results provide a novel insight on the identification of NUE genes and for the future prospects, will lead to a more thorough understanding of physiological significances of the diverse gene families that may be associated with NUE in barley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Han
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Julia Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tao Su
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry UniversityNanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Su
| | - Perrin H. Beatty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Allen G. Good
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB, Canada
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Pilbeam DJ. Breeding crops for improved mineral nutrition under climate change conditions. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:3511-21. [PMID: 25614661 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Improvements in understanding how climate change may influence chemical and physical processes in soils, how this may affect nutrient availability, and how plants may respond to changed availability of nutrients will influence crop breeding programmes. The effects of increased atmospheric CO2 and warmer temperatures, both individually and combined, on soil microbial activity, including mycorrhizas and N-fixing organisms, are evaluated, together with their implications for nutrient availability. Potential changes to plant growth, and the combined effects of soil and plant changes on nutrient uptake, are discussed. The organization of research on the efficient use of macro- and micronutrients by crops under climate change conditions is outlined, including analysis of QTLs for nutrient efficiency. Suggestions for how the information gained can be used in plant breeding programmes are given.
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