Project Number: 5325-43000-025-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: May 17, 2001
End Date: May 16, 2006

Objective:
Evaluate the effects of temperature, water availability and mineral nutrition on grain development in wheat plants to define the type, timing and duration of treatments that most influence development, yield,and grain quality. Evaluate patterns of gene expression during grain development under different growth conditions to identify underlying mechanisms of gene regulation that coordinate the response of the wheat grain to specific environmental cues. Determine, by use of proteomics, immunology, and enzymology, the mechanisms that regulate starch biosynthesis during grain fill. Determine, by use of monoclonal antibodies, the amounts of starch biosynthetic proteins that accumulate during grain development under different controlled temperature regimens. Determine, by correlating starch biosynthetic enzyme activity with protein and mRNA levels in developing grain and with starch granule size and composition in mature grain, the effects of environment on grain development and flour composition and quality.

Approach:
Grow wheat plants under defined environments and evaluate the effects of heat, drought, and fertilizer levels on grain development. Evaluate the effects of controlled environments on the expression of genes that are likely to play a role in flour quality. Analyze the effect of environment on composition of proteins in mature grain. Characterize the effect of environment on genetic mechanisms that control the rate and duration of grain-fill. Using new techniques for proteome and genome analysis such as protein identification by mass spectrometry and microarray analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), compare programs of gene expression in developing grain grown under different environmental conditions to identify genes that control changes that take place in the grain in response to specific environmental stimuli. Use this information to devise molecular strategies for developing transgenic plants that retain yield, grain quality, and flour quality characteristics despite adverse environmental conditions during grain fill. FY03 Program Increase $89,415.

Project Team

Hurkman, William Vensel, William Altenbach, Susan Dupont, Frances

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002   FY 2001