A genomics approach to crop pest and disease research.
Genome-wide analyses of gene function and gene expression are beginning to yield valuable information in many areas of biological research, and these genomic tools are now being applied to crop pest and disease research. DNA sequencing of cDNA libraries to generate sets of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are allowing gene compendiums for crop diseases to be compiled. Annotation of such data collections is also providing a wealth of functional information about gene products through similarities to proteins with known function. The next phase of the functional genomics era will be to employ large-scale techniques to knock out or silence genes in order to synthesize gene-specific mutants for phenotypic analysis and to use micro-array methodology to analyze global gene expression, protein turnover and protein processing during the processes of parasitism and colonization. Application of these technologies promises to accelerate the pace that biological information relevant to crop protection accrues. The ability of researchers to assimilate this information into complex models and workable hypotheses is, thus, set to revolutionize the way we study pests and diseases of crop plants.
Keon
John
J
IACR-Long Ashton, University of Bristol, Long Ashton, Bristol BS41 9AF, UK.
Curtis
Rosane
R
Cabrera
Hector
H
Hargreaves
John
J
D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018745:Genome, Plant; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D010571:Pest Control / Q000379:methods; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D017384:Sequence Deletion