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The Medicago truncatula Gene Expression Atlas (MtGEA): A Tool for Legume Seed Biology and Biotechnology

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Seed Development: OMICS Technologies toward Improvement of Seed Quality and Crop Yield

Abstract

Legumes account for approximately one third of world primary crop production and are vital sources of protein, oil, carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals for humans, livestock, and industrial processing. Grain nutrient composition varies between legume species as well as between genotypes of the same species. The major metabolic pathways responsible for storage protein, lipid, and starch biosynthesis are well characterized in several plant species, although it remains unclear how partitioning between these pathways and their end products is regulated. Seed development is a complex process that involves coordinated expression and regulation of thousands of genes in different cell and tissue types. The Medicago truncatula Gene Expression Atlas (MtGEA) provides genome-wide expression data for all major organs of M. truncatula, including a rich time series for seed development. This chapter describes how the MtGEA provides a comprehensive view of the genetic and molecular processes of seed development. MtGEA is playing an instrumental role in identifying regulatory and metabolic genes potentially determining seed composition and seed quality. Therefore, MtGEA is a valuable resource for seed biotechnology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Biology Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK, USA

    Jerome Verdier & Michael K. Udvardi

  2. West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Vagner A. Benedito

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  1. Jerome Verdier
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  2. Vagner A. Benedito
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  3. Michael K. Udvardi
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Correspondence to Michael K. Udvardi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. RLABB, Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal

    Ganesh K. Agrawal

  2. , Biology, University of Tsukuba, Tennoudai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8572, Japan

    Randeep Rakwal

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Verdier, J., Benedito, V.A., Udvardi, M.K. (2012). The Medicago truncatula Gene Expression Atlas (MtGEA): A Tool for Legume Seed Biology and Biotechnology. In: Agrawal, G., Rakwal, R. (eds) Seed Development: OMICS Technologies toward Improvement of Seed Quality and Crop Yield. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4749-4_7

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