EpiShade · Deciphering the epigenetic components of the Shade Avoidance Syndrome in Arabidopsis
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-05-01 → 2021-06-30
- EU contribution
- €170,122
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Deciphering the epigenetic components of the Shade Avoidance Syndrome in Arabidopsis
In agricultural settings, plants are often growing in high density to optimize land use. In that situation, however, competition for resources such as light occurs and this can lead to lower crop yield. Plants are able to detect high plant density, even at the seedling stage, and activate a series of developmental changes to compete for resources. However, this set of responses often impacts negatively on production, as relocation of resources in the plant is detrimental on food production. To understand the regulation of this response is very valuable as cultivable land is becoming a limiting factor. When plants sense vegetation proximity they change the expression of hundreds of genes. The aim of this project has been to know which factors are involved in the activation or repression of these genes (experimental approach summary in Image 1). Studying mutants defective in factors that control gene expression and/or shade detection (see an example of the aspect of different mutant plants exposed to shade at Image 2), combined with other experimental approaches (for example microscopic analysis, such at Image 3), we have identified novel players and new mechanisms (called epigenetic) that regulate gene expression when plants detect vegetation proximity.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Light limitation caused by vegetation proximity is an important threat to plant survival in natural and agricultural environments. In order to adapt the growth and development to high plant density communities, plants reacts with a set of responses named Shade Avoidance Syndrome (SAS). The objective of the current proposal is to investigate the transcriptional regulation of the SAS response by relating the activity of the transcription factor PIF7 (as a major SAS transcriptional regulator) with the chromatin status (particularly the transcriptional activator or repressor role of histone acetylation and methylation). The main goal of the EpiShade proposal is to elucidate if the chromatin landscape modulates PIF7 activity and/or PIF7 attracts the chromatin remodellers that leads to changes in the chromatin status. Since it seems likely that different PIF7 targets presents different regulation, the use of the genome-wide approaches included in EpiShade will be crucial. For the success of the proposal, EpiShade combines the expertise of the hosting group in the study of light response (phenotypic, biochemical, transcriptional) with that of the applicant in epigenetic marks profiling (combining chromatin immunoprecipitation and bioinformatics). To include the epigenetic level in the regulation of transcription is a novel approach and SAS an ideal model to address its complexity. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship will enable the candidate to develop his career improving his expertise in light response and to build an independent research program in Europe in the CRAG, a top-leading plant research centre.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CENTRE DE RECERCA EN AGRIGENOMICA CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB · CERDANYOLA DEL VALLESCoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union