Project Number: 1907-21000-012-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2002
End Date: Aug 31, 2006

Objective:
1) Study the molecular basis and regulation of carotenoid accumulation in plant tissues/organs which normally accumulate either low or high levels of carotenoids; 2) improve the aluminum tolerance of grain crops for cultivation on acid soils; 3) study the molecular basis for plant heavy metal accumulation and tolerance; 4) conduct research in advanced technology development in proteomics and other areas related to functional genomics to apply to crop and microbial research projects in the MU.

Approach:
1) Use molecular biology and genomics/proteomics approaches to study the metabolism and accumulation of organic constituents of plant foods that impact human nutrition and health. 2) The cellular physiology, molecular biology and electrophysiology of micronutrient and heavy metal uptake and nutrition will be studied, in order to ultimately develop micronutrient efficient crops as well as plants better suited for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. 3)Physiological, genetic and genomics/proteomics approaches will be used to elucidate plant tolerance mechanisms to toxic levels of aluminum (Al) found in acid soils that predominate throughout the world, with an ultimate goal of isolating Al tolerance genes for use in developing improved transgenic crops for cultivation on acid soils. 4) The development and advancement of proteomics technologies (e.g., protein purification/identification via mass spectrometry and primary structure determination) to be used to further the research on existing agricultural problems on microbial and crop genomics in the MU.

Project Team

Kochian, Leon Giovannoni, James Thannhauser, Theodore Li, Li

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003

Related National Programs

Plant, Microbial & Insect Genetic Res., Genomics, & Genetic Improv. I (301)   Plant Biological and Molecular Processes (302)

Related Projects

IMPROVING THE ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE, PHYTOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL, AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF PLANTS    THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN EDIBLE FRUIT TISSUES    IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ALUMINUM TOLERANCE GENES IN GRAIN CROPS    MOLECULAR REGULATION OF HEAVY METAL AND MICRONUTRIENT HOMEOSTASIS AND HYPERACCUMULATION    GENOMIC APPROACH TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF FRUIT QUALITY IN MELON AND RELATED CUCURBIT SPECIES    NEW APPROACH FOR IMPROVING PHOSPHORUS ACQUISITION AND ALUMINUM TOLERANCE OF PLANTS ON MARGINAL SOILS