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 Seed is the harvested part of most established crop species. In canola, the seed accounts for about 15 to 35 per cent of the total dry matter produced. Crop value is determined by key characteristics such as the size and number of seeds, the rate of seed growth, the chemical composition of the seeds (the identity and amounts of oils, carbohydrates etc.) and the efficiency and speed of germination of crops after sowing. These characteristics are a consequence of developmental processes. However, there are substantial gaps in our understanding of the many interdependent biochemical and molecular processes that control development in plants, including crop species such as canola.
The seed phase of the plant life cycle commences with fertilization, followed by embryogenesis, maturation, dehydration, imbibition and terminates with germination. Despite significant advances in recent years (especially from
Arabidopsis embryogenesis research), there are many knowledge gaps remaining in our understanding of embryogenesis and seed development. For example, little is known of the pattern elaboration processes of the mid to late stages of embryo development that contribute to determining the embryo/seed size.
This project is conducting a global survey of gene expression, and its consequences for seed development, from early embryo development to the initiation of germination in canola and related species. This effort will build upon the information base available in
Arabidopsis thaliana, including the complete sequence of its genome
(Arabidopsis Genome Initiative,
2000). This detailed study will involve the correlation of transcript, protein and metabolite profiles with an emphasis on understanding the regulation of seed development. Initially a baseline dataset will be collected for seed development in canola. This will be used to make informative comparisons with development in other Brassicas species.
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