Taking apart and rebuilding plant genes

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Agricultural Research (Beltsville, MD); (United States)

OSTI ID:6660797

Quattro, J De ^[1]

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1. USDA-ARS Plant Molecular Biology Lab., Beltsville, MD (United States)

Many Agricultural Research Service and university scientists are involved in plant genome mapping, as well as redesigning genes in crop plants. This article discusses highlights of recent investigations including genetic linkages, boosting soybean efficiency in nitrogen use, genetic protection against fungi, moths, and viruses, hormonal controls, and photosynthetic efficiency. Plants can use only about 2 percent of the sunlight reaching their leaves, with D1 a key protein in the chloroplast's membrane being one of the reasons. Plants make and then degrade this protein in sunlight, more rapidly with extral ultraviolet light. Because of the thinning ozone layer, more UV-B light is reaching Earth. Eventually this could translate into less crop productivity and less food because UV-B's destruction of D1, reducing the chloroplast's efficiency in carrying out photosynthesis.

• OSTI ID: 6660797
• Journal Information: Agricultural Research (Beltsville, MD); (United States), Vol. 41:1; ISSN 0002-161X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
EFFICIENCY
PLANTS
GENES
AGRICULTURE
FUNGI
INVESTIGATIONS
LEAVES
MAPPING
MOTHS
NITROGEN
OZONE LAYER
PRODUCTIVITY
PROTEINS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VIRUSES
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
LAYERS
LEPIDOPTERA
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARASITES
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
RADIATIONS
SYNTHESIS
550200* - Biochemistry