WinClock · Underpinning the significance of circadian clock winter disruption in Poplar
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2014-06-01 → 2018-05-31
- EU contribution
- €100,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-CIG
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Underpinning the significance of circadian clock winter disruption in Poplar
Environmental regulation of shoot growth, branching and plant adaptation to a changing climate are central regulatory process require for plant fitness and biomass production, having special interest in woody perennial species. These traits are of a great interest to tree breeders which impacts tree productivity and geographical distribution, particularly in the context of global warming scenario. The function of the circadian clock in controlling seasonal development of trees has recently emerged, however its regulation is not understood in tree models. WinClock project investigated the crosstalk between the environmental signals and developmental programs in woody perennials. Specifically, WinClock studied how photoperiod and temperature cues interact with the biological clock defining the temporal control of winter dormancy establishment in poplar. WinClock disentangled two different aspect of this regulation: A) how photoperiod cue acts as a repressing signal to control seasonal shoot growth, and B) how photoperiod and temperature cues input the circadian-regulated RAV1 transcription factor controlling axillary bud outgrowth and seasonal poplar acclimation. WinClock contributed to the generation of 7 scientific articles, 17 presentations in national and international scientific meetings, as well as participation of several scientific outreach activities. As a result of WinClock working plan, we identified new molecular frameworks and developed original models that set the ground of my future research lines. Moreover WinClock helped to support the accomplishment of 2 PhD, 2 Master and 2 Bachelor degree theses. All of them positively contributed to consolidate my Ramon y Cajal tenure track position and my Assistant Professor I3 application at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. WinClock Contacts: Principal Investigator: Mariano Perales email: mariano.perales@upm.es Coordinator: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid email: roberto.prieto@upm.es Website: http://www.cbgp.upm.es/index.php/en/scientific-information/young-investigator-research-lines/environmental-development
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Plants are able to anticipate to changes of the environmental conditions triggering self-protective developmental programs. Dormancy is a complex developmental program that allows woody plants to survive the low temperatures of winter. Dormancy, therefore, determines the geographical distribution and the developmental period of the tree, which will in turn condition both the productivity and quality of its wood. In addition to the growth-dormancy cycle of the apical and vascular cambium meristems, lateral buds developmental program is seasonally controlled in temperate woody plants. The lateral buds of most temperate woody species do not grow out during the season in which they form. These proleptic buds overwinter and grow out during the following spring. However, in Poplar and a few other temperate species, as well as many tropical species, some lateral buds grow out sylleptically, that is, they grow out during the same season in which they form without an intervening rest period. Sylleptic branching in Poplar may increase significantly branch number, leaf area and the general growth of the tree, particularly in its early years. How the temperate woody plants perceive the environmental signals such as light and temperature to establish these seasonal controlled developmental programs is still poorly understood.My research goal is to investigate the crosstalk between the internal timekeeper and mechanisms related to the control of developmental programs regulated by winter dormancy in woody plants. In this proposal I will explore two complementary angles of this research line: 1) Deciphering the molecular mechanism involved in winter disruption of circadian clock in Poplar. 2) The spatio-temporal investigation of circadian regulated CsRAV1 gene network and its transcriptional mechanism to clarify the regulatory principles of dormancy eluding.The results of this project may contribute to develop trees with increased biomass yield.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID · MadridCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union