Perspectives for study of Brachypodium distachyon as a model object for genetic and biochemical study in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The species so far the most used as model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, has provided a wealth of useful information and valuable tools for understanding plant biology. However, Arabidopsis is too phylogenetically distant from the temperate cereals to be used as a model system for cereal-specific metabolisms and responses to the environment. For this reason, Brachypodium distachyon has been recently proposed as a new model for grasses and temperate cereals. It has many qualities that make it an excellent model organism for functional genomics research in temperate grasses, cereals like barley and wheat, and dedicated biofuel crops such as switchgrass. These attributes include small genome, which is fully sequenced, a small physical stature, self-fertility, a short lifecycle, simple growth requirements, and an efficient transformation system.