Seeds for growth - Identification of transcriptional programs controlling seed growth and development from Arabidopsis to rice (ERA-PG 065)
Final Report Abstract
Plant seeds are the largest food source for humankind. In particular, the seeds of cereal species such rice, wheat, barley, rye, oat, corn, sorghum, and others are of tremendous agronomical importance, for instance for rice more than 600 million megatons are produced every year from an acreage of more than 150 million hectares. In this proposal we have created an European collaborative effort incorporating Norwegian, German and Italian national genomics research programs. We have exploited the unique properties of a previously identified mutant in the Arabidopsis cdc2a homolog CDKA;1 to genomically dissect seed development. Genome-wide expression studies revealed that many AGAMOUS-LIKE (AGL) MADS-domain type I transcription factors are differentially expressed in "cdka;1"-fertilizated seeds. While extensive work on the MADS domain MICS class has identified this group as key regulators of development, relatively little is known about the type I class. Our work together with reports from other teams pinpoints to a key function of this group of transcriptional regulators during seed development. In the funded period, we have characterized a first set of type I transcription factors, in particular AGL28, AGL34, AGL35, AGL36 and AGL90. With a special focus on “AGL36” in "Arabidopsis", we have explored their regulation at the chromatin level, i.e. through DNA methylation and the modification of histone variants. In a second step, MADS box transcription factors encoding genes and the possible upstream regulatory machinery was explored in rice. A first set of results has been published now. Furthermore, this project has set an important base for the ongoing characterization of MADS box type I genes in "Arabidopsis" and rice.
Publications
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2008. Natural variation in the degree of autonomous endosperm formation reveals independence and constraints of embryo growth during seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics, vol. 179. 2008, no. 2, pp.829-841.
Ungru, A., Nowack, M.K., Reymond, M., Shirzadi, R., Kumar M., Biewers, S., Grini, P.E., Schnittger, A.
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2010. Reproductive cross-talk –seed development in flowering plants. Biochemical Society Transactions, Vol.38. 2010, Issue 2, pp. 604-612.
Nowack, M. Ungru, A., Grini, P.E., and Schnittger, A.
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2010. VERDANDI (VDD) Is a Direct Target of the MADS-domain Ovule Identity Complex and Affects Embryo Sac Differentiation in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, vol. 22. 2010, no. 6, pp. 1702-1715.
Matias-Hernandez, L, Battaglia, R., Galbiati, F., Rubes, M., Eichenberger, C., Grossniklaus, U.C., Kater, M.M., Colombo, L.
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2011. Functional Analysis of all AGAMOUS Subfamily Members in Rice Reveals their Roles in Reproductive Organ Identity Determination and Meristem Determinacy. Plant Cell, vol. 23. 2011, no. 8, pp. 2850-2863.
Dreni, L., Pilatone, A., Yun, D., Erreni, S., Pajoro, A., Caporali, E., Zhang, D., Kater, M.M.
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2011. Genome-wide Transcriptional Profiling of endosperm without Paternal Contribution Identifies Parent-of-origin dependent regulation of AGAMOUSLIKE36. PLoS Genetics, Vol. 7.2011, Issue 2, e1001303.
Shirzadi, R., Andersen, E.D., Bjerkan, D.N., Gloecke, B., Ungru, A., Koncz, C., Aalen, R.B., Schnittger, A., Grini, P.E.
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2011. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 controls the embryo to seedling
phase transition. PLoS Genetics, Vol. 7.2011, Issue 3, e1002014.
Bouyer, D., Roudier, F., Heese, M., Anderson, E.D., Gey, D., Nowack, M.K., Goodrich, J., Renou, J.-P., Grini, P.E., Colot, V., Schnittger, A.
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2011. The emerging importance of type I MADS-box transcription factors for plant reproduction. Plant Cell, vol. 23. 2011, no. 3, pp. 865-872.
Masiero S., Colombo, L., Grini, P.E., Schnittger, A., Kater, M.M.
