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Research
and Development |
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Core technology :
CRES-T
The CRES-T, “Chimeric REpressor gene Silencing
Technology”, is a novel gene silencing technology, which is a
powerful tool for gene manipulation in commercially important plant
traits.
Transcription factors (TFs) are key
regulators for the control of various plant phenomena. However,
redundancy of genes often interferes with manipulation and
functional analysis of TFs. Conventional gene silencing technology
(Anti-sense RNA, RNAi, and overexpression of a TF faulted method) is
not sufficient to overcome this
problem.
What are advantages in CRES-T
system?
●Effective to functionally redundant
TFs.
Chimeric repressor suppresses expression
of the target genes dominantly over the activation
activity of endogenous and functionally redundant transcription
factors with resultant phenotypes
that are similar
to those from loss-of-function mutants in CRES-T
system.
●Easy
manipulation.
Although genetic information
is necessary to design a vector construct for RNAi, we do not need
any information of genetic sequences in CRES-T
system. A chimeric repressor is just made by
adding
a sequence of repression domain to your target
TFs.
●Possible to find novel
phenotypes.
Expression of chimeric repressors induce
various interesting phenotypes that have been
not observed by conventional gene silencing technology
(Fig.1).
●Broad application to various species of
plants.
CRES-T system functions not
only in dicots, such as Arabidopsis but also monocots,Rice.
We can apply CRES-T system
to various plant species for production of desirable
plants.
Fig.1: CRES-T induces various interesting
phenotypes.
Which services can we
provide for you?
●Chimeric repressor library is
available
We have prepared seed pools from
transgenic Arabidopsis lines that respectively express the
chimeric repressor for each of the transcription
factors encoded in Arabidopsis genome. The
“chimeric
repressor library” is now available at GreenSogna for
research and development
collaborations to identify
traits of interest and for functional genomics to third party
academic and
commercial
partners.
●Screening of useful traits of
plants
GreenSogna is identifying chimeric
repressors that are useful for the improvement of many
commercially important plant traits, including such
complex traits as environmental stress
resistance.
Using its proprietary Arabidopsis “chimeric repressor
library” for 2000 transcription
factors, the company
can rapidly identify transformed plants which exhibit the phenotype
of
interest and then characterize the chimeric
repressor that delivers the trait. So far, the company
is identifying chimeric repressors that confer such
traits as tolerance to hormones and various
environmental stresses. Furthermore, GreenSogna is applying these
chimeric repressors into
various plant species such
as rice, tobacco, poplar and flowers
etc. |
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Tolerance to abiotic stress and
the herbicide
Responding to global climate change
and global warming, GreenSogna is identifying chimeric repressors
that confer tolerance to various stresses such as, high osmotic
stress, salinity condition, high temperature, and herbicides
(Fig.2). Those chimeric repressors are being
applied to crops to improve the yields.
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Fig.2: Control of abiotic stress tolerance and
herbicide resistance |
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Control of
fertility
Male and female sterile plants are
particularly useful for the effective production of commercial
hybrid plants and for preventing the diffusion of seeds or pollen
grains of genetically modified plants in the open field. Greesogna
has identified several chimeric repressors that cause male and
female fertility of monocots and dicots (Fig.3).
These genes are being used to prevent the productivity of a number
of crop species in addition to plants used for
biofuels.
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Fig.3: Control of
fertility
Control of lignin and cellulose
biosynthesis
By manipulation of NST genes, we are able to
produce plants, which have low or high contents of lignin
(Fig.4). These would be useful for effective
production of biofuel and bioenergy. These genes are being used to
apply for poplar and eucalyptus used for
biofuel.
Fig.4: Control of lignin and cellulose
biosynthesis
Manipulation of
Flowers, Horticultural plant, grass
and crops
Manipulation of flower traits
GreenSogna is applying chimeric repressors into
various species of plants
(Fig.5). GreenSogna demonstrated that our CRES-T system
is a powerful tool to manipulate morphology of flowers by CRES-T
system. Transgenic plants expressing chimeric repressor showed
ethylene insensitive in Arabidopsis and suppression of
etiolation with aging in Chrysanthemum (Unpublished
data).
For example, Sansevieria trifasciata
is popular for ornamental plant in the world and it is that improves
indoor air quality by removing aero-toxins such as formaldehyde. We
trust to be able to enhance these functions by CRES-T system for
more comfortable living.
Changing metabolic pathway in
Brassica
CRES-T allows us to enhance a secondary
metabolite production by changing metabolic pathway in
plants.GreenSogna has identified chimeric repressors
which confer increased contents of protein in transgenic seeds. We
also succeeded to isolate chimeric repressors which enhance seed oil
contents up to 130% of that of wild-type average (Unpublished data).
Theses chimeric repressors are being introduced into Brassica for
effective biofuel production.
Rice for biofuel
materials
GreenSogna is also preparing various
CRES-T lines in rice. GreenSogna has investigated CRES-T rice
showing low lignin / high suger content for application to biofuel
materials. And we have some possible candidates showing high
saccharification rate.
Application to grass and other
crops
In Other useful crops, GreenSogna is now
developing CRES-T lines and high efficiency transformation system.
Brachypodium distachyon (L.) is a new model plant for
functional genomics studies in grasses and cereals. Brachypodium has
many advantages for accelerating of monocot research: it has small
genome size, dwarf, self-fertility, short lifecycle, and simple
growth requirement (http://www.brachypodium.org/). GreenSogna trying
to construct CRES-T lines of Brachypodium for advanced researches of
grasses and
cereals.
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Fig.5: GreenSogna is applying chimeric repressors into
various species of plants
Finally, CRES-T system is a powerful tool for
functional analysis of redundant plant transcription
factors and the manipulation of useful traits in various plant
species.
This system is
completely
different from simple overexpression and conventional gene silencing
technology.
Therefore, we can provide many
important plant traits and contribute to agricultural
and industrial developments in the
world.
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