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H2020Staff exchange2021–2025

EVOfruland · Evolution of genetic network required for fruit and fruit-like structures development of land plants.

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2021-09-01 → 2025-08-31
EU contribution
€662,400
Participants
15
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

Evolution of genetic network required for fruit and fruit-like structures development of land plants.

Fruits are novel organs that originated with the angiosperms. The fruit is not only complex, but also highly varied in structure and seed dispersal mechanisms across flowering plants (Fig.1). Seed dispersal is pivotal for plants species to survive, maintain a high level of biodiversity and colonize new habitats. Dry and fleshy fruits exploit different strategies to disperse seeds. Fruit diversity encompasses all ontogenetic changes undertaken by the gynoecium after ovule fertilization, already present in the last common ancestors of the flowering plants. Extant Gymnosperms (such as Ginkgo biloba) occupy a key phylogenetic position as sister to the angiosperms and are therefore key to understanding the origin and evolution of reproductive structures within angiosperms. Human and animal nutritional needs are mainly based on the intake of seeds and fruits which are also important sources of other priceless products useful for our well-being. Therefore, a great effort is required to increase plant food production in a world where the population is growing dramatically, and climate changes obviously pose new challenges for food sustainability. Any new insight about mechanisms underpinning fruit and seed formation is fundamental for transfer of the acquired knowledge from model systems to species used to feed the world.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Human and animal nutritional needs are mainly based on the intake of seeds and fruits which are also sources of other priceless products useful for our own well-being. For the plants themselves, the fruits are a key to seed dispersal and ensure future plant generations. Although fruits show diverse structural and seed dispersal mechanisms across flowering plants it seems that all species might share a common developmental network. Fruits, in the strictest sense, are only present in angiosperms and are mainly derived from the ovary wall. Nevertheless, fruit-like structures, used for seed dispersal are present also in Gymnosperms. This research project proposes to build an intercontinental and interdisciplinary network with the aim to elucidate the evolution of the molecular signaling and the crosstalk among different players that underpin the development of fruit and fruit-like structures. We will focus on: a) the functional evolution of key transcription factors known to be integral for fruit and fruit-like development. To build the Fruit evolutionary conserved Genetic Regulatory Network (FGRN) we will consider core eudicots such as Aethionema arabicum, the orphan crops Lepidium campestre, Solanum lycopersicon and Passiflora edulis. We will include also non-core/early diverging eudicots: Papaver somniferum, and Aristolochia fimbriata and the gymnosperms Ginkgo biloba and Taxus baccata. b) the hormonal signaling involved in the coordination and synchronization of the steps of fruit/fruit-like development c) cell wall pathways involved in pectin maturation and cellulose deposition required for fruit development. We will use a broad set of approaches such as molecular genetics, evolutionary genomics, biochemical and biophysical analyses. The consortium will be engaged in a large program of communication and dissemination of these topics with the involvement and outreach efforts of three Botanical Gardens.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA · PadovaCoordinatorItaly
  • AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
  • BOYCE THOMPSON INSTITUTE · ITHACACity levelUnited States
  • CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y DE ESTUDIOS AVANZADOS DEL INSTITUTO POLITECNICO NACIONAL · MexicoMexico
  • FRIEDRICH-SCHILLER-UNIVERSITÄT JENA · JENAGermany
  • NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY · RaleighUnited States
  • NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CORPORATION · EVANSTONUnited States
  • STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH · WageningenNetherlands
  • THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN · BronxUnited States
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE · AdelaideAustralia
  • The Flinders University of South Australia · AdelaideAustralia
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE ANTIOQUIA · MEDELLINColombia
  • UNIVERSIDADE DE SAO PAULO · SAO PAULO SPBrazil
  • UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS · Campinas SpBrazil
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO · MilanoItaly

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union