Biotech Updates

Modification of GA Signalling for Crop Improvement

August 29, 2008

Gibberellins (GA) are phytohormones that play important roles in key physiological processes including stem elongation, cell division, seed germination and flowering. Using sugarbeet as a model, a group of scientists from the United Kingdom have shown that modification of the GA signaling pathway can be used to improve crops by manipulation of the transition to reproductive growth. Sugarbeets, as spring crops in temperate European climate, are vulnerable to vernalization-induced premature bolting (stem elongation) and flowering resulting in reduced crop yield and quality. The scientists introduced the gai and GA2ox1 genes from Arabidopsis and bean, respectively, to repress GA signaling. The transformation resulted in agronomically significant bolting time delays of 2-3 weeks.

The article published by the journal Transgenic Research is available to subscribers at http://www.springerlink.com/content/w748l12523r46758/fulltext.pdf