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Characterisation of the integrative and conserved role of BRC1 in lateral branching control

Objective

Control of branching is a major determinant for the vast diversity of plant shoot system architectures. After initiation, axillary meristems develop into axillary buds. Branching patterns depend on a key developmental decision: whether axillary buds grow out to give a branch or come in a reversible dormancy statement remaining small in the axils of leaves. This decision is controlled by different developmental or environmental stimuli (apical dominance, photoperiod, shade avoidance syndrome, etc…) which are perceived in different regions of the plant and transduced into the axillary buds to be translated into a local response of growth arrest or stimulation in order to adapt to changing conditions. The molecular mechanisms of integration of these stimuli as well as dormancy control remain fairly unknown. Recently the laboratory of P. Cubas, the host laboratory, characterised the TCP gene BRANCHED1 (BRC1) as a key regulator of branching control in Arabidopsis thaliana. This function interestingly seems to be conserved in Angiosperm.
We first plan to do ChIP-SEQ experiment and compare the results obtained with those obtained from microarray analyses comparing genes expression between wild type A. thaliana axillary buds and BRC1 RNAi line or inducible BRC1 line. This seeks to isolate the target genes of BRC1 which should play a role in control of meristem dormancy. We then plan to test the conservative role of BRC1 orthologs in two Solanaceae species (S. lycopersicum and S. tuberosum) by producing RNAi lines.
This is an original project based on standard genetic techniques (RNAi, one yeast hybrid) as well as cutting edge genomics technique (ChIP-SEQ) which addresses questions from highly competitive research fields which are meristem development, apical dominance, shade avoidance syndrome, etc…

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS
EU contribution
€ 166 565,60
Address
CALLE SERRANO 117
28006 Madrid
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Eusebio Jiménez Arroyo (Mr.)
Links
Total cost
No data