Descripción del proyecto
La reproducción clonal a través de semillas puede mejorar la seguridad alimentaria
La apomixis, o formación asexual de semillas, es una forma alternativa a la reproducción sexual que algunas plantas utilizan para producir semillas viables que contienen clones genéticos del progenitor femenino. Aunque se considera una herramienta prometedora para fitomejoradores y agricultores, la apomixis no tiene lugar en la mayoría de las especies de cultivo alimentario. La redirección de especies de reproducción sexual hacia la apomixis podría lograrse mediante la manipulación de las rutas biológicas clave involucradas en los programas de desarrollo que controlan la sexualidad. Sin embargo, para hacerlo, los científicos primero deben descifrar los mecanismos precisos subyacentes. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos MAD está creando una red internacional de investigación y formación para capitalizar la riqueza de conocimientos y recursos acumulados en un gran número de campos multidisciplinarios conexos. Aprovechar el gran potencial de la apomixis podría ayudar a hacer frente al reto de la seguridad alimentaria de una población en aumento, que se enfrenta a presiones derivadas del cambio climático y a las fuertes demandas de la sociedad en materia de salud y conservación de la diversidad biológica.
Objetivo
Apomixis in plants allows the formation of seeds carrying maternal embryos. While absent in major food crops, it occurs in many plants, including wild relatives of cereals and species of economical interest such as forage grasses and fruit trees. This unique reproductive mode can be achieved through many paths, all involving alterations in the orchestration of the developmental programs underlying sexual reproduction. Since it allows the use of a natural carrier, the seed, for propagating the best genotypes regardless of their constitution, apomixis represents a revolutionary tool for plant breeding programs and for reducing the costs of improved variety seeds. Despite wide-cross breeding programs to introduce the trait in cereals and decades of research using both sexual plant models and apomictic species, apomixis remains an enigma for plant biologists and a long-awaited tool by breeders and farmers. Functional analyses in Arabidopsis and maize have provided valuable molecular information to understand sexual reproduction and, occasionally, to explore alterations yielding phenotypes reminiscent of apomixis. On the other hand, the recent advances in « omics » tools and biotechnologies have opened the route for investigating apomictic species at unprecedented, cellular and molecular levels. The MAD (Mechanisms of Apomictic Developments) project will establish an international, research and training network aiming at contributing significantly to our understanding of key mechanisms involved in redirecting sexuality in plants towards apomixis. It bridges critical knowledge and biological resources recently generated by collaborative efforts in the field of apomixis biology, and novel expertise in plant reproductive biology, biotechnology and breeding by aggregating new partners. Through research, training and dissemination actions, the project will clarify the genetic architecture of apomixis and support the deployment of innovative strategies in crop improvement.
Ámbito científico
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureindustrial cropsfodder
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant breeding
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscereals
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesreproductive biology
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Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-RISE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)Coordinador
13572 Marseille
Francia