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Evolution of genetic network required for fruit and fruit-like structures development of land plants.

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EVOfruland (Evolution of genetic network required for fruit and fruit-like structures development of land plants.)

Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-09-01 do 2023-08-31

Fruits are novel organs that originated with the angiosperms. Fruits are usually formed, upon fertilization, from one or more carpels: gynoecium, the female reproductive organs of the flower that enclose the ovules, that in turn develop into seeds. The fruit is not only complex, but also highly varied in structure and seed dispersal mechanisms across flowering plants. Seed dispersal is pivotal for plants species to survive, maintain a high level of biodiversity and colonize new habitats.
Dry and fleshy fruits exploit different strategies to disperse seeds: fleshy fruits are generally edible and have attractive colours, thus they attract frugivorous animals that eat the fruit. Fruit diversity encompasses all ontogenetic changes undertaken by the gynoecium after ovule fertilization, already present in the last common ancestor of the flowering plants. Extant Gymnosperms (such as Ginkgo biloba and Taxus baccata) occupy a key phylogenetic position as sister to the angiosperms and are therefore key to understanding the origin and evolution of structures within angiosperms.

Human and animal nutritional needs are mainly based on the intake of seeds and fruits which are also important sources of other priceless products useful for our well-being. Therefore, a great effort is required to increase plant food production in a world where the population is growing dramatically, and climate change obviously poses new challenges for us.
Any new insight about mechanisms underpinning fruit formation is fundamental for transfer of the acquired knowledge from model systems to species used to feed the world.

An intercontinental consortium, which includes four European countries (Italy, Spain, The Netherland and Germany), three countries of Central America and South America (Mexico, Colombia, Brazil), the United States of America and the Australia, is working in an interdisciplinary way focusing on the elucidation of the evolution of the molecular signaling and the crosstalk among different players that underpin the development of the fruit/ fruit like structures (Fig.1).
A broad set of approaches are applied, including many of the latest techniques in molecular, genetic, evolutionary genomics, biochemical, chemical and biophysical analyses.
The consortium takes care of communication and dissemination of these topics with the involvement of three Botanical Gardens: Padova and Brera (MI) in Italy and the NYBG in USA .
Each WP has performed experiments linked to the assigned tasks.
WP1 has coordinated, managed the project work. All planned deliverables were reached, progress reports submitted and a website is now fully operating. Moreover, the connection to peers, to network in the specific field and to general audience is provided by using EVOfruland X (twitter) account. In addition, WP1 which is to deal with increasing visibility and impact in the social sphere has involved many of the researchers involved project in events open to the general public such as the Plant Fascination Day 2022 which was widely attended in the Botanical Gardens and academic institutions involved.
WP2 coordinated the genomic and transcriptomic analysis during the development of the fruits and fruit-like structures. Many labs have optimized the RNA extraction protocols from different model species and non-model species.
The data set from RNA sequencing is being extensively analyzed and preliminary data on main gene families is being obtained. In this way it will be possible to dissect the molecular network regulating the fruit and fruit-like development supporting also the research work of the WP3 which is in charge of the functional analysis of key factors involved in fruit/fruit-like structure development.
The spatio-temporal expression of key genes has been obtained for many species under study giving a clear overview about the time and the tissue of expression and thus supporting a precise role for the identified genes (by WP2) and clarifying the complex molecular network that underneath fruit development especially in non-model fruits for which very few studies are available in spite of their importance as a potential food source compared to the few species we grow also causing a sharp decrease in genetic variability.
WP4 has performed a wide analysis of hormonal signaling during the development of fruit and fruit-like structures in selected species. So far EVOfruland studies reveal hormones are central regulators in the reproductive structure formation. Database generate by the partners allowed the description of the overall expression pattern to understand the role of the different hormones involved in this process. An immunolabeling protocol was setup to detect hormones in Arabidopsis fruits by CINVESTAV and partner labs are now setting-up this protocol in their labs to detect hormones in different species as Ginkgo, tomato and tobacco. This WP has also began to work on the effect of exogenous hormone applications on different species. These experiments are crucial as hormonal treatments could be applied to fruit production as the development, the ripening, the maintenance of organoleptic qualities and shelf life of fruits in the market depends on hormonal control.
The hormonal control has deep effects on the cell walls during fruit maturation thus the WP5 is in charge of molecular and structural analyses of cell walls from fruit/fruit-like tissues during development. The activity of this WP are in progress as it strictly depends on the results obtained by the other WPs so for the moment this part of the work is being started, as planned since the beginning of the project.
The consortium will continue to characterize changes in expression patterns, developmental functions, phytohormone interaction dynamics, all processes putatively involved in the different phases of fruit/ fruit-like formation. The results obtained so far on the involved gene molecular networks allows their functional characterization in order to set up practical applications in agriculture. Understanding which components are involved and how they could be interconnected within the mechanisms involved in fruit/fruit-like development provide powerful tools to increase the fruit production from a qualitative and quantitative point of view (introduction of neglected or under considered fruit species in the market, targeted crossings to obtain more adaptable varieties with a higher yield). Thus, the impact of the project is still relevant taking in account that the scientific achievements obtained pave the way for innovative strategies to better face with the challenging environmental conditions in which fruits and seeds for humankind will have to be produced.
In addition the results of these project has demonstrated a great potential impact on the society and on younger people (schools and families) as practical and training activities, conferences and workshops on fruit biodiversity and fruit development, organized at the Botanical Gardens (Fig.2) has collected interests stimulating many questions about fruits and fruit-like structures that often were not generally known (i.e. exotic fruits, dry fruits, fruit-like structures).
So the consortium will continue and potentiate this kind of activities to attract interest from and make aware the general public about the importance to safeguard biodiversity of plants and consequentially of the products we get from them that none of us can do without now.
Stages of development in different fruit and fruit-like species
BG activity: how many fruits do you know?