Comparing osmotic stress responses between wild barley cultivar, landrace and domesticated barley: chemical, physiological and molecular adaptations of apoplastic barriers in leaves and roots

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lukas Schreiber
• Subject Area: Plant Physiology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 511193270

In this project we will investigate the adaptations of apoplastic barriers in leaves (epidermal cutin and wax deposition) and roots (endodermal suberin deposition) to osmotic stress comparing wild barley, landraces and domesticated barley. This approach includes (i) the microscopic and chemical-analytical investigation of apoplastic barriers over the length of barley leaves and roots, (ii) the investigation of the gene expression (transcriptomics) over the length of barley leaves and roots, (iii) the metabolomic and ionomic investigation of barley leaves and roots in order to compare apoplastic cell wall responses with symplastic cellular responses and finally (iv) the quantitative analysis of water transport across barley leaf and root apoplastic barriers. By comparing wild barley, landraces and domesticated barley, deeper insights in the adaptation of barley leaf and root apoplastic barriers to osmotic stress can be obtained. This knowledge could help in future in barley breeding to achieve more stress tolerant cultivars.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Israel
• International Co-Applicant: Dr. Hagai Cohen