Use of comparative molecular genetics to study pre harvest sprouting in wheat

The use of model genetic systems in plant and animal studies has allowed a greatly increased understanding of how genomes regulate phenotype. Arabidopsis thaliana (arabidopsis) has proved to be an extremely useful model for plant molecular genetic studies and there are now many examples of important agricultural genes that have been identified using this species as a model. The discovery and investigation of a large number of arabidopsis mutants associated with seed development and germination indicates that resources are available, using comparative molecular genetics approaches, to identify candidate loci that may play important roles in the regulation and aetiology of pre-harvest sprouting (PHS). Specific examples are discussed including the ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) and FUSCA3 (FUS3) loci, that encode proteins containing a highly conserved DNA binding domain originally identified in the maize Viviparous-1 (Vp-1) transcription factor. The potential use of this gene family for the manipulation of PHS, either through marker-assisted breeding or transgenic approaches is discussed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]