Project description
Learning more about reprogramming in plant microspores
Totipotency, a trait often found in germ cells such as microspores, could be a crucial key in reprogramming plant microspores. However, despite its importance in various organisms and processes, totipotency is not fully understood. The ERC-funded MagicSpore project aims to utilise the Arabidopsis male germline to study germline epigenetic reprogramming and totipotency in plant microspores, thereby revolutionising our understanding of plant cellular totipotency and sexual reproduction. To achieve this, the project will leverage recent discoveries, such as the absence of specific histone modifications in microspores and employ novel technologies to investigate the epigenetic basis of microspore totipotency and their biological purpose.
Objective
How totipotency is established in germ cells is an essential question in reproductive biology. In the plant male germline, the haploid meiotic products microspores are totipotent, which permits crop breeding via microspore embryogenesis. However, the molecular basis and biological significance of microspore totipotency are unknown. More generally, our understanding of plant cell totipotency is in its infancy.
My lab established the Arabidopsis male germline as a model to study germline epigenetic reprogramming. We recently discovered that H3K27me3, a histone modification essential for developmental regulation, is globally erased in microspores. We also identified a new family of histone H2A deubiquitinases (GDUs), and our results suggest that the GDUs and a histone H3 variant (H3.15) gradually remove H3K27me3 during microspore development. I hypothesize that global H3K27me3 erasure facilitates the diploid to haploid transcriptional shift, establishes cellular totipotency, and allows the two identical sperm cells within a pollen grain to initiate the development of distinct seed structures (embryo and endosperm).
We will leverage our recent discoveries, as well as state-of-the-art technologies, to study in-depth the epigenetic basis of microspore totipotency and its biological functions, via these aims:
1) determine the timing, scope and functions of H3K27me3 reprogramming in microspores;
2) understand the role of histone H3.15 and GDUs in H3K27me3 reprogramming;
3) alter microspore regeneration ability by manipulating H3K27me3 reprogramming;
4) elucidate the contribution of global H3K27me3 erasure to double fertilization.
Our outputs will revolutionize our understanding of plant cellular totipotency and sexual reproduction, and elucidate novel strategies to enhance microspore embryogenesis in recalcitrant crops. These insights will in turn reveal core principles governing epigenetic regulation of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds
- natural sciences biological sciences developmental biology
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy plant breeding
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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)
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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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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.
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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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3400 KLOSTERNEUBURG
Austria
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