Lecture 9

Question 1

what is a reporter gene

Answer 1

attaches to the regulatory sequence of of another gene of interest in bacteria, animals or plants

Question 2

Why is GM advantageous for plant breeding

Answer 2

can move genes between species without any restriction

Question 3

What are the types of plant breeding methods

Answer 3

artificial selection
vegetative propagation
marker assisted breeding

Question 4

What is artificial selection

Answer 4

The breeding of selected organisms to produce strains with desired traits

Question 5

what is the advantage of hybridization

Answer 5

used by breeders to introduce new genes

Question 6

Where did modern maize originate

Answer 6

product of artificial selection

- Teosinte

Question 7

Where was corn first domesticated

Answer 7

central America

Question 8

What are the advantages of the modern corn

Answer 8

larger cob
larger kernel size
permanent attachment of seeds to cob
encasement of entire cob by tough husk

Question 9

What plants were derived from the wild mustard

Answer 9

cabbage
Brussels sprouts
kale
broccoli
kohlrabi

Question 10

What was the cabbage selected for

Answer 10

selection for apical bud

Question 11

What was the broccoli selected for

Answer 11

selected for the flowers and stems

Question 12

What was the kohlrabi selected for

Answer 12

selection for the stems

Question 13

What was the kale selected for

Answer 13

selection for leaves

Question 14

What was the Brussels sprouts selected for

Answer 14

selection for axillary buds

Question 15

Who is Norman Borlaug

Answer 15

Nobel Prize winner 1970 and father of the green revolution

- researched GA genes

Question 16

What initiated the green revolution of the 20th century

Answer 16

increased use of fertilizer

introduction of semidwarf (GA mutants) varieties of grains

Question 17

What were the advantages of the semi dwarf varieties

Answer 17

put more energy into seed production than stem growth

are sturdier; less likely to fall over

Question 18

What is marker assisted breeding

Answer 18

• use DNA makers linked to desired traits to aid selection of individual plants in breeding program
  eg. Red-fleshed apple trait is associated with a particular PCR band

Question 19

What makes the red fleshed apple different from the white fleshed apple

Answer 19

red fleshed variety has a larger promoter region than white fleshed variety

• larger PCR band always present in red fleshed varieties
• amplification of MYB10 promoter region; used in breeding program to select plants at the seedling stage; more space in the orchard as other plants can be discarded

Question 20

What is vegetative propagation

Answer 20

is the asexual propagation of plant through tissue culture, cuttings and/or grafting. It allows for propagation of clones (genetically identical) of superior varieties of plants, or of plants that are sterile.

• test tube cloning and plant tissue culture (orchids and calla lilies)

Question 21

What are common examples of plants propagated vegetatively from cuttings

Answer 21

• most house plants
• woody ornamentals
• orchard trees
  eg. kiwifruit and apple orchards are made up of identical vines/ trees

Question 22

What type of culture is the best approach to ensure no mutation will occur

Answer 22

meristem culture

mutant free propagation

Question 23

true or false; plants arising from organogenesis ad embryogenesis have high frequency of mutations termed somaclonal variation

Answer 23

true

Question 24

What do you call the mutations that arise from organogenesis and embryogenesis

Answer 24

somaclonal variation

Question 25

What are the typical applications of plant tissue culture

Answer 25

- propagation of superior cultivars by meristem culture eg. orchids - pathogen removal from plants by meristem culture eg. virus free potato plants - embryo rescue to generate new hybrid plants eg. sweetpeas - production of secondary metabolites in suspension cultures eg. ginseng

Question 26

Define genetic engineering

Answer 26

regeneration of transgenic plants carrying introduced transgenes

Question 27

What properties of future GM cassava

Answer 27

- increased protein, iron, b-carotene - bigger roots - reduce cyanide producing chemicals in roots

Question 28

What are 'smart' plants

Answer 28

- inform the grower of nutrient deficiencies before damage has occurred - a blue tinge indicates when these plants need phosphate containing fertilizer

Question 29

What is golden rice

Answer 29

- a transgenic variety being developed to address vitamin A deficiencies among the worlds' poor

Question 30

Describe the short history of transgenic plants; 1984, 1984, 1994, 1995

Answer 30

1984: first transgenic tobacco plants obtained 1984: roundup resistant petunia plants produced- first commercial phenotype 1994: FlavR SavR tomato cleared for commercial release 1995: roundup ready soybeans released; first successful commercial GM crop

Question 31

What is roundup

Answer 31

a herbicide | that kills weeds (unwanted plants)

Question 32

What are pesticides

Answer 32

kills animals

Question 33

what are herbicides

Answer 33

kills plants

Question 34

What kind of transgenic crops have been developed

Answer 34

- produce proteins to defend them against insect pests - tolerate herbicides - resist specific diseases

Question 35

Give an example of a pest resistant crop and what made it resistant

Answer 35

insect resistance with BT gene | - used commercially in corn and cotton to give insect resistance

Question 36

What are round up ready soybeans

Answer 36

- round up is a non selective herbicide - kills weeds - round up ready gene expressed constitutively in plants (soybeans, canola) to protect them from the herbicide

Question 37

What is procedure of marker assisted breeding in apples

Answer 37

1. ) extract genomic DNA from apple plants 2. ) carry out PCR 3. ) run gel and visualize DNA bands 4. ) score for the presence or absence of the band 5. ) identify which seedlings carry out the band associated with red fleshed apple trait

Question 38

What is harvest index

Answer 38

proportion of plant that is harvested for consumption eg. - cereals, increased size and number - dwarfing to decrease leaf number and lodging etc..

Question 39

true or false; most crop improvement has been derived from selecting plants with an increased harvest index

Answer 39

true

Question 40

What is embryo rescue

Answer 40

to generate new hybrids- culture of embryos after fertilization allows survival of hybrids that do not develop into seeds naturally