FAST BREAKING PAPERS - 2008

Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

Our studies demonstrated the potential usefulness of the Taiwan Rice Insertional Mutagenesis (TRIM) library for the functional analysis of rice genes. The design of multiple function T-DNA for generating the mutant library has resulted in several unique features such as:

1) T-DNA insertions are distributed relatively evenly throughout the rice genome, which confers high gene tagging efficiency.

2) The low copy numbers of T-DNA insertion and rather inactive transposon reduce the tedious effort of genotype vs. phenotype analysis in each single line.

3) The gene activation tagging system frequently yields valuable mutants that traditional gene knockout tagging strategies might have missed.

4) The gene promoter trap system facilitates high-throughput identification of genes active in specific organs or tissues of rice grown under standard or induced conditions.

5) The searchable T-DNA FST database is linked to the phenotype database and seed catalogue, which allows for an accelerated functional analysis of rice genes.

Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of knowledge?

Based on our highly efficient rice transformation and bioinformatics technologies and skillful rice field management, our team have generated the large TRIM library (containing 60,000 mutant lines) and established a searchable flanking sequence tag (FST) database (containing 35,000 mutant genes). Theoretically, 50% of computer-predicted 37,000 rice genes are tagged by T-DNA in the TRIM library.

In terms of mutant utility and quality, user friendly database, and number of mutant seeds available for study, the TRIM library and database are ranked among the best of the four similar-sized large rice mutant libraries worldwide (Taiwan, Korea, China, and France). Our paper elaborates why these resources are valuable and how they could be used for identification and functional studies of novel rice genes.

Would you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

Our paper provides detailed information on the unique features and utility of the TRIM library, and thus has received international attention. The extraordinarily precious TRIM mutant library and database are open to the public and have served as a driving force in the functional study of rice genes. Hundreds of mutant lines from this library have been studied by labs in Taiwan and throughout the world. Essential genes identified through study of the TRIM library could be used to improve not only rice but also other cereal crops, such as wheat and corn, and grass species, such as Miscanthesis and switchgrass, which are very much needed in order to ensure food and bioenergy security for the rapidly growing world population.

How did you become involved in this research, and were there any problems along the way?

Rice is one of the most important crops in the world. Taken together, rice, wheat, and maize account for 60% of the world's food production, and rice itself is the principal food of nearly 50% of the world’s population. These cereal crops share a large degree of similarity. Due to several advantages of rice over other cereals, such as smallest genome size (400 Mb) and the relative ease of transformation, identified rice genes facilitate the study of homologous genes in other cereal crops, making rice an excellent model cereal crop for genomics research and the choice for complete genome sequencing.

The challenge of the post-genome era is to understand the functions of the huge number of genes predicted by sequence information. Development of a large mutant rice population will be extremely valuable for the functional analysis of rice genes. It is for the reasons noted above, and also in order to keep pace with the world trends in competitive plant science research, that I became involved in this research.

I did encounter problems from time to time since the research project was started in 2003. For examples, to secure adequate funds, I had to write many grant proposals which were sent yearly to various sources and also to repeatedly rebut reviewers’ criticisms. In order to establish an efficient and functional pipeline for generating the mutant library, I had to assemble a skilled multidisciplinary team to carry out high throughput rice transformation, cultivation, propagation, agronomic trait evaluation, and seed stock, along with the bioinformatics and molecular biology analyses of mutant genes. I also had to solve many unforeseen technical hurdles during these processes.

In order to promote utilization of the precious mutant library, I had to give countless lectures and seminars, write letters, and publish papers in order to convince more plant biologists to join the area of rice research, etc.

Where do you see your research leading in the future?

For years, my research efforts mainly focused on how sugar signaling crosstalks with other signaling pathways (e.g., hormone, environmental stimulus, and metabolic signaling pathways) and plays a pleiotropic role regulating cellular activities, plant growth, development, and stress responses. Many of my colleagues and I are also interested in studying the functions of genes essential for improving plant growth performance (e.g., abiotic and biotic stress resistance and high yield).

With the completion of rice genomic sequences and available genetic tools (rice transformation technology and the creation of a mutant library), rice functional genomics approaches certainly play an essential role in these studies and are building our rice research programs into a competitive position within the world plant science community. Our original and innovative research has led to many excellent papers published in high-impact international journals, invitations to contribute various review articles, and seminars at international meetings and research institutes.

Do you foresee any social or political implications for your research?

Our research contributes significantly to the understanding of how plant growth and development are controlled, as well as outlining the transformation of conventional agriculture through the use of modern technology, which has had a major impact on establishing global sustainable agriculture.

Additionally, the valuable TRIM library and database are being shared throughout the international plant science community, which contributes significantly to basic research in worldwide cereal and crop improvement. These accomplishments have opened up a channel for the international recognition of numerous excellent research contributions from Taiwan.

My contributions are also highly regarded and appreciated internationally, as evidenced by my election, in 2005, to membership in the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), an association of distinguished scholars supporting scientific excellence and research.

Su-May Yu
Distinguished Research Fellow
Professor
Institute of Molecular Biology
Academia Sinica
Nankang, Taipei
Taiwan, Republic of China