Project Number: 3622-21000-027-05
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 15, 2007
End Date: Aug 14, 2010

Objective:
To use resurrection plants as models for gene identification, isolation, and deployment in drought tolerance strategies to 1) Develop/enhance courses on Plant Breeding, Biotechnology, and propagation and plant environmental stress physiology at the universities of Nevada-Reno and Missouri, and 2) Develop an integrated research and extension project using Sporobolus as a forage grass. The ARS portion of the objectives is to identify novel genetic determinants involved in desiccation tolerance from two vascular desiccation tolerant, resurrection species and to identify and functionally test key regulatory and signaling components in model plant and target crop species.

Approach:
The approach is to conduct rapid gene discovery via the establishment of expressed sequence tag (EST) databases derived from normalized cDNA libraries. Define and compare the distinctive response of resurrection species to water deficit stress in closely related species pairs that have retained or lost desiccation tolerance. In addition we will conduct mRNA expression profiling and map the gene networks responsible for desiccation tolerance and recovery using oligonucleotide microarray-based expression profiling. Candidate genes, those that are regulated by dehydration will be functionally tested in transgenic plants. Maize is the target crop of choice for this project.