Welcome to the Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Breeding Science, Tottori University
Introduction
Wheat is the most important staple diet for human. The increase in production of wheat has slowed down in the last two decades. As eGreen Revolutionf saved the hungry in 1960fs using Rht (semi-dwarf) genes, we must find new genes to solve the global food shortage that we will face in the 21st centry. Thus, we decided the research of our laboratory to expand genetic variation of wheat by using chromosome and gene transferring methods.
From 2007, we got involved in a GCOE program entitled eGlobal Center of Excellence for Dry land Sciencef and working in the eMolecular Breeding Groupf. We are studying to produce wheat lines which are tolerant to drought and/or salinity, collaborating with ICARDA (International Center of Agricultural Research in Dry Area, Syria).
We are also involved in the Research Center for Chromosome Engineering, Tottori University established in 2009 and opened Plant Chromosome Engineering Division.
Present research
1. Expansion of genetic resources by wide crosses and use of the variation for breeding: Leymgrass (Leymus mollis and Leymus racemosus) is a perennial grass species living in sea shore. We made hybrids between the grasses and wheat and selected wheat lines with a pair of the leymgrass chromosome (alien chromosome addition lines). We found lines tolerant to diseases, increasing flour quality and requiring less fertilizer for normal growth. Molecular genetical and cytological techniques are very helpful for this research.
2. Development of method to introduce chromosomes of far-related species to wheat: When wheat is crossed with different species, various abnormalities appear. For example, the pollen of pearl millet (drought-tolerant crop originating from Africa) is crossed to the pistil of wheat, fertilization occurs normally, but chromosomes of the pearl millet are eliminate gradually from the hybrid embryos. If we will able to control this elimination, we could introduce the drought-tolerant genes to wheat. We are studying to know the mechanism of this chromosome elimination. Wide hybridization, embryo rescue, 3-D FISH methods are used in this work.
3. Exploration of wheat variation in the world: To know what wheat is cultivated in the world and how it is used, we have
participated in several plant explorations. The countries which we explored
are China, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, India, Armenia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
Research background and profile of professors
Dr. Hisashi TSUJIMOTO, Professor. Born in 1958, Got a PhD by researching on gHybrid dysgenesis in wheat by gametocidal genesh from Kyoto University in 1986. Majors are General Genetics, Cytogenetics and Breeding Science.
Dr. Hiroyuki TANAKA, Associate Professor. Born in 1971, Got a PhD by working on gGenetic diversity of seed storage proteins and the effect of allelic variation on dough strength in common wheath from Tottori University in 2005. Majors are Molecular Genetics.
Main facilities in our laboratory
Fluorescence microscopes, Cooled CCD cameras, Discussion microscope, Clean bench, Incubators, Thermal cyclers, Real-time PCR, DNA sequencer, NIR composition analyzer, 2-D PAGE image analyzer, DNA capillary electrophoreser, Grass houses, Growth cambers, Experimental field
Techniques learnt in our laboratory
DNA techniques (DNA cloning, PCR, Electrophoresis, blot hybridizations, Sequencing, TILLING, SuperSAGE, Homology Search, Phylogenetic analysis), Protein techniques (SDS-PAGE, Acid PAGE, 2D-PAGE, Structure analyses, SDS-sedimentation analysis), Chromosome techniques (Chromosome observation in mitosis and meiosis, chromosome banding, Fluorescent in situ hybridization, Genomic in situ hybridization, 3D-analysis), Transformation of wheat (Collaboration with Prof. Kiyoshi Tanaka).
Materials used in our laboratory
Wheat (cultivars, genetical and chromosomal lines, synthetic wheats, alien chromosome addition lines, amphidiploids), Pearl millet, Leymgrass, and wheat-related wild grasses. These materials are listed in the home page of NBRP-wheat (National BioResouce Project-wheat).
LINK
- Tottori University
- Faculty of Agriculture, TU
- ALRC (Arid Land Research Center), TU
- CERC (Chromosome Engineering Research Center), TU (only in Japanese)
- ICARDA (International Center of Agricultural Research in Dry Area)
- NBRP-wheat (National BioResouce Project-wheat)
- GCOE (Global COE Program)
