The arabidopsis genome and its use in cereal genomics

Arabidopsis has been the best-characterised plant at the molecular level. A complete genome sequence of this model plant allows insight into the basic plant toolbox. Beside the identification of each individual gene within the genome, increasing emphasis is laid on comprehensive analysis of genome features beyond the genes, that is the regulation, topology, structure, as well as the functional networks and their interplay. While in-depth, full-scale and detailed analyses remain feasible only in the model plant, strategies are being developed and refined to transfer the knowledge gained within the model plant Arabidopsis to crops like cereals. Furthermore, the strategies developed to exploit partial genome sequence can be tested and fine-tuned on this model plant and then applied to cereal datasets. While both these are necessarily based on approximations, they hold the promise of overcoming some of the limitations that restrict analyses in cereals. Although the demonstrated similarity between the species can be the immediate target for knowledge transfer, from a systematic comparison we will also be able to recognize the differences between the model Arabidopsis genome and cereals. The accumulation of data and experience both within the model plant and while utilizing this data for cereals will add up to an enrichment of cereal genomics with a body of knowledge that could not have been obtained with reasonable effort by other means.