The importance of resources in biology research is incomparable. Biology research without resources is as said in Chinese proverbs "cooking without rice" or "water without a source". One research direction of the Genome Resource laboratory is creation and utilization of genome resources, with a current focus on those for cereals.

资源在生物研究中的重要性无可比拟,没有资源的生物研究就像“无米之炊”或“无源之水”。本实验室的研究方向之一为基因组资源创建和利用,目前重点在禾谷类基因组资源的创建和利用。

1. Establishment of a BAC Resource Platform

We have already set up the first complete public BAC resource platform in China from high-quality BAC (Bacterial Artificial Chromosome) / BIBAC (Binary BAC, which can be directly used to clone large fragment DNA and transform plants) library construction, BAC sequencing, BAC end sequencing, BAC fingerprinting, BAC physical map construction to whole genome sequencing; set up basic databases and web-search tools; improved the BAC and BIBAC vectors that have largely facilitated BAC / BIBAC library construction, insert sizing, cloning of random large fragment DNA and exchanging of intact large inserts between the two vectors.

已建立起国内第一个从高质量BAC(细菌人工染色体)/BIBAC(双元BAC,能直接用来克隆大片段DNA并转化植物)文库构建到BAC测序、BAC末端测序、BAC指纹制作、BAC物理图谱制作再到全基因组测序的完整的公共BAC资源平台,建立起基本的数据库和网络搜索工具,对BAC和BIBAC载体进行了改进,改进的载体极大地方便了BAC/BIBAC文库构建、插入片段检测、随机大片段DNA克隆以及完整插入片段在BAC和BIBAC之间的交换等。

2. Creation and Utilization of Rice Genome Resources

We have constructed BAC libraries and physical maps for the four Chinese elite rice varieties Zhonghua 11, 93-11, Zhenshan 97 and Minghui 63 in collaboration with AGI; constructed a BAC library for rice variety PA64S; integrated the Zhonghua 11 physical map with the Zhonghua 11 T-DNA mutant library; integrated the 93-11 physical map with BGI 93-11 whole genome shotgun sequence; integrated the Zhenshan 97 and Minghui 63 physical maps with the genetic map constructed between the two varieties. We are using the resources in comparative genomics studies and positional cloning of functional genes; constructing Zhonghua 11 EMS mutant library; constructing BAC libraries and physical maps for several rice fungus species for whole genome sequence assemblies and gene cloning.

已经和美国亚利桑那大学基因组研究所(AGI)合作构建了我国优良水稻品系中花11、93-11、珍汕97和明恢63的BAC文库和BAC物理图谱,构建了我国优良水稻品系PA64S的BAC文库,已将中花11物理图谱与中花11 T-DNA突变体库进行了整合,将93-11物理图谱与BGI 93-11全基因组shotgun序列进行了整合,将珍汕97和明恢63物理图谱与以它们为亲本制作的遗传图谱进行了整合,正在利用这些资源进行全基因组比较研究和功能基因克隆,正在构建水稻中花11 EMS突变体库,正在构建几种水稻真菌基因组的BAC物理图谱用于全基因组序列组装和基因克隆。

3. Creation and Utilization of Maize Genome Resources

We have constructed a number of BAC/BIBAC libraries for maize and its close relatives. These resources have been designed for the Zea Map Alignment Project (ZMAP) following the model of the Oryza Map Alignment Project (OMAP) that has become an important research platform for rice genomics studies, and currently are being used in comparative analyses. We are massively transforming the maize B73 BIBACs into rice plants to create rice lines with tiling maize large fragment DNA. The maize DNA-containing rice lines will become the second tier genome resources, which provide not only rice breeding materials with useful maize genes that are still an untapped gene repertoire for rice improvement due to the hybrid barrier between maze and rice, but also a foundation for a large scale functional identification of maize genes because the phenotype changes caused by maize genes in the clear and pure rice genetic background can be easily identified. We are constructing a sorghum BIBAC library and will use it to create rice lines with tiling sorghum DNA as well.

已构建大量玉米及其近缘野生种基因组的BAC和BIBAC文库。这些资源是按照已成为水稻基因组研究重要平台的稻属基因组比较图谱项目(OMAP)的思路为玉米属基因组比较图谱项目(ZMAP)设计的,正被用于比较研究。同时,正利用玉米B73 BIBAC文库大规模构建含瓦片式玉米大片段DNA的水稻群体,这些水稻群体将成为第二级基因组资源,不仅为水稻育种提供带有由于杂交障碍至今仍几乎完全未在水稻中被利用的优良玉米基因的材料,而且,因为玉米DNA在遗传背景清楚并且纯合的水稻中引起的性状变化很容易鉴定出来,因此也为大规模玉米基因功能鉴定提供基础。正在构建高粱BIBAC文库,也将同样利用高粱BIBAC文库大规模构建含瓦片式高粱大片段DNA的水稻群体。

4. Exploration of the mechanism of Agrobacterium mediated transformation

We are exploring the mechanism of Agrobacterium mediated transformation and trying to improve the efficiency of large fragment DNA transformation.

正在对农杆菌介导的遗传转化机理进行研究,以提高大片段DNA转化效率。