XVI International Botanical Congess
Utilizing the efficient system of homologous recombination in Physcomitrella we have identified the first organellar division protein in any eukaryote as well as a novel fatty acid desaturase by very efficient targeted gene knock-out. Efficiencies were up to 90% of knock-out plants amongst transgenics, depending on the stretches of homology and on the quality of the DNA (cDNA vs.genomic DNA) used for the gene disruption. This technique will be employed to generate some 100,000 expressed sequence tags and to generate a saturated mutant collection of some 100,000 transgenic plants in the forthcoming four years in order to identify novel genes relevant to environmental stresses as well as genes for certain metabolic properties.