Objective
Plant somatic embryogenesis is a process of major importance to the rapid multiplication of elite cultivars in crop species. The genetic dissection of zygotic embryogenesis has led to the identification of genes involved in apical-basal and radial pattern formation. In this project we want to compare the formation of apical-basal and radial pattern elements in zygotic and somatic embryogenesis in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. The possibility to study zygotic embryo mutants under in-vitro conditions also allows to determine the effects of particular plant-produced signal molecules on pattern formation. The availability of targeted gene disruption methods in Arabidopsis will be employed to obtain mutants in several genes thought to be involved in the generation of specific signal molecules as well as in genes involved in establishing the correct division planes of the early embryo. The specific probes obtained and the signal molecules identified will be tested in the unrelated species of grapevine, a species for which somatic embryogenesis of all cultivars is a key issue to develop mass propagation and gene transfer techniques.
The project aims to produce specific markers useful for assessing the regenerative state of the somatic tissue, and at the same time aims to test specific and new signal molecules such as arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs), and small recently identified plant-produced peptides. Both compounds appear to promote the frequency of embryogenic cell formation In addition, the project aims to study several genes, identified by mutation or identified by sequence homology to known genes in other species. These genes encode proteins thought to be involved in signalling systems that originate in the integuments, the embryo sac and the endosperrn, and are apparently reproduced faithfully in somatic embryogenesis. Other genes are components of signal transduction pathway such as a receptor kinases, components of the cell wall matrix and cytoskeleton and the secretory pathway. The biological significance of these genes for the early embryo will be determined by using targeted disruption of the genes in Arabidopsis, followed by analysis of the resulting phenotypes. The project also aims to study zygotic embryo mutants disturbed in pattern formation, down regulation of AGP content and showing a maternal embryo-lethal effect. As a novel contribution to the genetic and molecular analysis, it is now also possible to culture these mutants in-vitro to allow a 'seed-free' analysis of the mutant embryos.
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
- natural sciences biological sciences developmental biology
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics mutation
- agricultural sciences agricultural biotechnology agricultural genetics plant cloning
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine embryology
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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.
Coordinator
6703 HA WAGENINGEN
Netherlands
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