Model Plants in Genomics

Abstract

AbstractBasic principles of biology are generally developed, tested, and established for the first time in organisms that are easy to study, convenient to handle and have enough biological merit to generalize the derived inferences. Some of these organisms are given the status of ‘model organism’ provided they fulfill some basic (intrinsic, derived, and community) criteria. The fundamentals of genetics were established through Mendel’s legendary work on garden pea (Pisum sativum) but at the early days of plant genetics maize (Zea mays) was the model system that got popularity. As plant science entered the genomics era and robust genetic manipulation techniques were established in some plant systems, a paradigm shift took place in the selection criteria of plants that can be promoted as ‘model system’. The emergence of Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa) as ‘model plants’ being the most prominent examples in this regard. During the past 40 years, Arabidopsis has overtaken all others and got established as the most preferred and frequently used model system in plant biology. Rice, on the other hand, has come up a long way to establish itself as a model monocot and it assumes paramount importance especially in the field of agriculture. However, it is also necessary to understand that a handful of model plants cannot answer every biological question. Hence, there exists the potential of expanding the horizon of ‘model plants’ by introducing new entries to keep pace with the ever-expanding knowledge and technology. In fact, with the recent introduction of rapid and low-cost whole-genome sequencing methodologies and precise genome editing technologies, the idea of ‘model organism’ is undergoing a rapid change. Under these circumstances, it seems likely that model plants in the future will be chosen based on their biological relevance rather than the operational ease and historical pedigree.KeywordsClassical model plantsNeo-classical model plantsMaizeArabidopsisRiceEvolution and phylogeneticsGenomics and genome sequencing