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Isolation and Functional Analysis of Useful Rice Genes and Development of Techniques for Their Utilization

Outline of Project Research Subjects
and Participants
Publications

1. Goals
2. Research plans
___ 1) Isolation of useful genes through a molecular biological technique
2) Identification of biological functions of genes

1. Goals

(1) To develop a technology to isolate rice genes and use such genes; and then isolate the genes that control agriculturally important traits, such as resistance to disease, insect pest attack, and low temperatures

(2) To develop a technology for efficient functional analysis of rice genes and identify the biological functions of expressive genes (cDNA)


2. Research plans

1) Isolation of useful genes through a molecular biological technique

(1) Purpose of research
To develop an efficient gene separation technology by using genetic maps obtained in the first phase of the Rice Genome research project and to isolate the genes that control agriculturally important traits

(2) Research plans
To develop an efficient gene isolation method using DNA markers and well-ordered DNA fractions (map-based cloning) and a gene isolation method using transposons (transposon tagging) and isolate the genes that control agriculturally important traits

(3) Goals
To develop an efficient method to isolate the genes that control agriculturally important traits such as resistance to disease, insect pest attack, and low temperatures
To contribute to the cultivation of breakthrough varieties with new traits such as disease and insect pest resistance by transducing isolated genes into rice


2) Identification of biological functions of genes

(1) Purpose of research
To develop technologies to analyze the biological functions of expressive genes (cDNA) and regulate their expressivity
To develop a related applications technology

(2) Research plans
To develop a technology to efficiently screen genes broken off from variants produced from transposons, identify their biological functions, and isolate useful genes by utilizing a gene disruption system

(3) Goals
To develop a technology to efficiently analyze the biological functions of genes that have important functions in agriculture such as seed maturation and growth of somatic material  and contribute to the cultivation of landmark breeds with new traits by transducing such genes into rice.