Chapter six Genomic survey of metabolic pathways in rice

Publisher Summary Functional genomics, the science of deciphering DNA sequence structure, variation, and function have become the engine driving the discovery of traits and helps to solve intractable problems in crop production. The chapter discusses that the completion of rice draft genome sequences represents an enormous pool of information for rice improvement through marker-aided selection or genetic engineering. It also helps to understand the biological functions encoded by the sequenced DNA. A genome-wide experimental approach is instrumental in dissecting metabolic pathways important for increasing rice productivity and nutritional content. The chapter focuses on progress toward the elucidation of specific metabolic pathways linked to key quality traits in rice. Future research needs to identify direct interactions among starch biosynthetic enzymes, as well as modifying factors that regulate enzyme activity. Comparative genomics will help to distinguish components of the starch synthesizing machinery that are conserved among all plant species from those that are unique to cereals and to identify those components that differ among the various cereal species.