FREEZE-TOLERANT DELETION AND INSERTION MUTATIONS IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ENABLE THE ISOLATION OF GENES THAT AFFECT PLANT FREEZING TOLERANCE. THE EFFORT IN PHASE I IS TO OBTAIN MUTATIONS CAUSING CONSTITUTIVE FREEZE-TOLERANCE IN A PLANT THAT IS NORMALLY INDUCIBLE FOR THIS TRAIT (ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA). TO FACILITATE THE ISOLATION OF GENES SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WILL SCREEN PLANTS EXPECTED TO HARBOR RELATIVELY LARGE ALTERATIONS (DELETIONS AND INSERTIONS) IN THEIR DNA. THESE WILL BE THE PROGENY OF PLANTS EXPOSED TO FAST NEUTRON IRRADIATION (WHICH CAN CAUSE DELETION MUTATIONS) AND THE PROGENY OF PLANTS IN WHIH ACTIVATOR (AC) HAS TRANSPOSED OR THOSE TRANSFORMED BY AGROBACTERIUM TUMEFACIENS, WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO CONTAIN INSERTION MUTATIONS.