Award details

Understanding the signalling pathways that impact on plant architecture

Reference	BBS/E/C/00004951
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter Hedden
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,602,426
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2008
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	48 months

Abstract

Plant architecture, including stem height and girth, numbers and size of branches, leaf size and shape, root length and numbers of secondary roots, has a major influence on crop yields and is an important factor in cultivation practices. Reduced stem growth, allowing, for example, improved stem stability, high planting densities, or a more effective canopy structure for optimal light energy capture, is a major target in breeding programmes in many crop species and is commonly achieved through application of growth retardants. Among the plant hormones that regulate the growth of organs such as stems, leaves and roots the gibberellins (GAs) are of particular relevance as the target for most growth retardants. Furthermore, many important semi-dwarf varieties have lesions in the GA biosynthesis or signal transduction pathway. The project aims to elucidate and manipulate signalling pathways involved in the developmental and environmental control of plant architecture, with particular emphasis on the GA signalling pathway, including biosynthesis, perception and signal transduction. Crop and model species will be utilised to identify components of these pathways, using reverse genetics and ectopic expression to study their physiological function and determine their contribution to relevant physiological processes. Their sites of expression will be determined using reporter genes and laser capture microdissection. Sites of GA biosynthesis and action relevant to the physiological processes underlying architecture will be investigated by tissue-specific manipulation of the signalling pathways. Interactions between GA, environmental and other hormonal signalling pathways will be investigated. Results obtained with model species will inform experiments with crop species, principally, but not exclusively wheat. The project will also examine GA signalling in relation to reproductive development in so far as this impacts on plant architecture, as in, for example, sugar beet.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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