Project description
Digging up the secrets of plant growth
Plants cannot move, so they must carefully control their growth to develop their organs and bodies. This process depends on the cell wall, whose mechanical properties are adjusted by changes in pH. These changes are influenced by plasma membrane proton ATPases, which are regulated by the plant hormone auxin. Recent discoveries show that auxin also acts through fast, non-genomic pathways that control ion flow and cell wall pH. The ERC-funded MORpH project explores how these rapid auxin responses shape plant growth and development. Using cutting-edge techniques and model plants such as Arabidopsis and Brachypodium distachyon, the project aims to uncover mechanisms that could benefit cereal crop improvement.
Objective
Plant cells, living in their cell walls, are immobile and thus tightly control growth to shape their organs and bodies. Mechanical properties of the cell wall are modulated by pH, which is governed by the activity of plasma membrane proton ATPases. The central regulator of plant growth, phytohormone auxin, regulates gene transcription. My team and I have significantly contributed to recent discoveries of additional auxin signaling pathways that act rapidly, in a non-genomic manner. Surprisingly, all auxin signaling pathways converge on the regulation of ion fluxes and cell wall pH.
The central hypothesis of the MORpH project is that the rapid regulation of cell wall pH by auxin plays a fundamental role in plant development. I propose that rapid auxin responses controlled by the TIR1/AFB auxin receptors participate in the morphogenesis of the above-ground plant body and that these receptors also drive rapid responses in grasses.
In this project, I will reveal the identity of molecular components of the AFB1-driven cytoplasmic auxin pathway using a forward genetic screen and protein proximity labeling approaches, exploiting the unique genetic material of my team. I will address the role of the rapid cytoplasmic auxin responses in the development of above-ground organs of the Arabidopsis model plant. By embracing a new model system relevant to cereals, Brachypodium distachyon, I will elucidate the significance of rapid auxin responses in grasses. Finally, using a combination of live-cell imaging, proteomics, and genetics, I will analyze and manipulate cell wall pH dynamics during key plant morphogenetic events, and discover the regulatory mechanisms underlying cell wall acidification.
The MORpH project will uncover novel fundamental roles of rapid auxin signaling in morphogenesis, and at the same time will expand my research toward plant models relevant to cereal crops.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds cereals
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
165 02 PRAHA 6
Czechia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.