NSF Award
0321510
Targeted Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) is a method for probing gene function that combines random chemical mutagenesis used traditionally by geneticists with an efficient screening technology for identifying mutations. This provides a range of mutations that eliminate or reduce gene function, which can be used to understand plant biology and to improve crops non-transgenically. TILLING is a general strategy that is even suitable for organisms that lack well-developed genetic tools. <br/><br/>With prior support from the NSF Plant Genome Research Project, the team has developed a novel high-throughput TILLING technology based on the ability of a mismatch-cleavage enzyme to detect single-nucleotide DNA changes. The team has also introduced interactive web-based tools for choosing optimal regions of genes to be TILLed and for analyzing TILLING results. A TILLING service for the general Arabidopsis community has been established together with a workshop program to disseminate TILLING technology and resources to the broad plant biology community. <br/><br/>In this project, TILLING has been extended to maize, and a high-throughput maize TILLING facility is being established. In addition, a TILLING resource is being developed for screening plant populations from collaborators. TILLed mutations discovered by these efforts will be provided to users and made available to the general community, and the corresponding lines will be deposited at stock centers. This follows the precedent set for Arabidopsis, where >2000 mutations in >200 genes and their corresponding stocks have been made freely and publicly available.
