Research advances in tree functional genomics and related strategy.

As the completion of genome sequencing for poplar and some other tree species,tree breeding has entered functional genomic stage,the next challenge to be faced will be to interpreter systematically all predicted genes in the genome,and to testify the functions of these genes.The analysis of functional genome for tree plants has entered the high throughput stage.However,to identify the exact function of unknown genes,it is necessary to understand each gene's role in the complex orchestration of all gene activities in the plant cell.Gene function analysis therefore necessitates the analysis of temporal and spatial gene expression patterns.The study strategy of functional genome has been developed to enable fast measurements of both the activity and concentrations of the genes in the plant cells.Recent improvements in technologies for tree functional genomics made it possible to conduct the functional analysis on the whole genome,which set up a new approach to study the functions of unknown genes in tree plants.The most widely applied research technologies for functional genome of tree plants included insertional mutagenesis,FOX-hunting system and proteomics,etc.