cgi-bin/about/tomato_project/nsf_9872617/project.pl

   1 use strict;
   2 use CXGN::Page;
   3 my $page=CXGN::Page->new('project.html','html2pl converter');
   4 $page->header('Tomato Genome Project Description');
   5 print<<END_HEREDOC;
   6
   7   <h1>Project Background</h1>
   8
   9   <p>Tomato has long served as a model system for plant genetics,
  10   development, pathology, and physiology, resulting in the
  11   accumulation of substantial information regarding the biology of
  12   this economically important organism. In recent years the most
  13   widely studied aspects of tomato biology include the development
  14   and ripening of their fleshy fruits and characterization of
  15   responses to infection by microbial pathogens. Although
  16   <em>Arabidopsis</em> has surpassed some plant systems as a model
  17   for basic plant biology research, the areas of fruit ripening and
  18   pathogen response continue to thrive using tomato as the system
  19   of choice. In the case of fruit development this is simply due to
  20   the fact that the developmental program which results in the
  21   dramatic expansion of ripening of carpels in tomato (and in many
  22   other economically and nutrionally important species) does not
  23   occur in <em>Arabidopsis</em>.</p>
  24
  25   <p>With regard to plant defense, decades of applied and basic
  26   research on tomato have resulted in characterization of repsonses
  27   to numerous disease agents including bacteria, fungi, viruses,
  28   nematodes, and chewing insects. In many cases this research has
  29   led to the identification and genetic characterization of loci
  30   which confer general or pathogen-specific resistance. In
  31   addition, many experimental tools and features of tomato make it
  32   an excellent model system in its own right. These include:
  33   extensive germplasm collections, numerous natural, induced, and
  34   transgenic mutants and genetic variants, routine transformation
  35   technology, a dense RFLP map, numerous cDNA and genomic
  36   libraries, a small genome, relatively short life-cycle, and ease
  37   of growth and maintenace. The intense research effort in fruit
  38   biology and disease responses and the tools which make tomato an
  39   especially attractive model system have resulted in many
  40   important recent discoveries. Specific highlights which have a
  41   broad impact on the field of plant biology include control of
  42   gene expression by antisense/sense technology, functional
  43   characterization of numerous genes influencing fruit development
  44   and ripening, transgenic analysis of genes which impact
  45   susceptibility of responses to pathogen attack, and isolation of
  46   more disease resistance (R) genes than in any other plant
  47   species.<br /></p>
  48
  49   <h1>Project Goals</h1>
  50
  51   <p>The overall goal of the project includes the development of an
  52   integrated set of experimental tools for use in tomato functional
  53   genomics. The resources developed will be used to further expand
  54   our understanding of the molecular genetic events underlying
  55   fruit development and responses to pathogen infection, and will
  56   be made available to the research community for analysis of
  57   diverse plant biological phenomena.<br /></p>
  58
  59   <h1>Specific Objectives</h1>
  60
  61   <ol>
  62     <li>Development of a tomato EST database with
  63     emphasis on sequences expressed during fruit development and
  64     maturation, and in pathogen-challenged tissues.</li>
  65
  66     <li>Genome-wide gene expression analysis during fruit
  67     development and ripening and under pathogen infection.</li>
  68
  69     <li>Development of a tomato-arabidopsis synteny map which will
  70     be used by members of this group and made publicly available
  71     for target gene isolation, candidate gene identification, and
  72     analysis of dicot genome organization and evolution.</li>
  73   </ol>
  74
  75
  76
  77 END_HEREDOC
  78 $page->footer();