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Control of Cytoplasmic Inheritance in Plants

Objective

In plants, genetic material is stored in the nucleus and the two cytoplasmic organelles: plastids and mitochondria. While both the nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes are essential for plant survival, the inheritance of these genomes is subject to different sets of rules.
Cytoplasmic inheritance differs from nuclear inheritance through two unique phenomena: uniparental inheritance and vegetative segregation. Despite extensive research efforts, the molecular basis of uniparental inheritance and vegetative segregation remain elusive. A major challenge in unraveling the mechanisms is the lack of methodologies. Excitingly, recent advancements in cytoplasmic genome engineering have provided me with a unique opportunity to develop feasible approaches for exploring this crucial area of biology.
The ultimate goal of this project is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of cytoplasmic inheritance, which will, in turn, enable us to control the plastid and mitochondrial inheritance. To attain this ambitious goal, we will pursue three specific aims: (1) Identifying the factors that govern maternal inheritance, (2) Promoting the selective transmission of cytoplasmic genomes, and (3) Investigating the molecular basis of vegetative segregation. In this project, we will utilize a combination of genetic and cytological approaches to study cytoplasmic inheritance in the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum.
The success of our project would represent the first instance of controlled cytoplasmic inheritance in plants. Our fundamental research will provide new tools for testing existing hypotheses regarding cytoplasmic inheritance. From an agricultural standpoint, breeders can leverage this unprecedented capacity to selectively transmit cytoplasmic genomes, thus enabling the inheritance of desired crop traits. The potential application of cytoplasmic inheritance in plant breeding highlights the societal impact of our research.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG

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Host institution

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 476 476,00
Address
DROEVENDAALSESTEEG 4
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands

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Region
Oost-Nederland Gelderland Veluwe
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 1 476 476,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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