A new emerging monocot model species

Brachypodium distachyon, a newly sequenced monocot representative model species shows promise in the area of plant science research. Brachypodium is alluring as a model species because it is closely related to agriculturally relevant crop species such as corn, rice, and switchgrass. The new model species was sequenced no more than one year ago, and scientific researchers have already begun digging through the genome, uncovering nature's secrets. Much knowledge can be transferred from the Arabidopsis community to this new model species. Several ideas have already carried over, such as an online genomics database with annotations and novel bioinformatics assistance such as the BLAST tool. We (the holt lab) recently published a genomics survey paper in the Public Library of Science (PLoS one) pertaining to identification and characterization of the transcription factor families that we work on in Arabidopsis. We used the BLAST tool to match protein sequences from the Arabidopsis genome against the Brachypodium genome to find orthologous genes across species. We identified several an equal number of A subunits, and an expanded number of B and C subunits in Brachypodium. What set this paper apart from other genomics surveys was the genetic characterization. We cloned a predicted Brachypodium orthologue and inserted it into an Arabidopsis mutant background. The gene was in fact an orthologue due to its ability to rescue the mutant phenotype in a different species of plant. This shows the strong influence of evolution and the importance of NF-Y transcription factors in the plant kingdom. Monocot and dicot families experienced millions of years of evolutionary diversity, all the while retaining relatively similar genetics. If that is not evidence of a common ancestor, I do not know what is.