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Project information
Regulation of Plant Cell Wall Metabolism by Cytokinins: Novel Developmental Mechanisms for Biomass Improvement

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Project Identification
7F14155
Project Period
7/2015 - 4/2017
Investor / Pogramme / Project type
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR
  • Czech-Norwegian Research Programme (CZ09)
MU Faculty or unit
Central European Institute of Technology
Cooperating Organization
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Cell walls (CWs) represent one of the most prominent characteristics of plant cells. During plant defence and development cell wall damage (CWD) occurs which impairs functional integrity of the walls and survival of the plant cells. Recent experimental evidence highlights the critical importance of CW metabolism and mechanical CW properties in plant organogenesis. Plant hormones were shown to be potent regulators of CW composition. However, the mode of action of the molecular mechanisms mediating the hormonal control of CW metabolism is not well understood. Based on previously published data and our own unpublished preliminary results, we suggest a novel role for cytokinins in the regulation of CW metabolism, which has important consequences for vascular tissue development and CWD response. Here we intend to employ standard and leading-edge molecular biology, biochemical, molecular imaging and physiology techniques to achieve three main objectives. i) We will determine the molecular targets of CKs activity responsible for regulating tracheary elements differentiation that our unpublished data has shown to be CK-dependent and connected with changes in the CW lignification and water hydraulic conductance. ii) We will determine the role of the Arabidopsis dirigent-like protein family (AtDIRs), members of which are supposed to be direct targets of CK signalling in the regulation of CW properties. iii) Finally, using a system to generate CWD in a controlled way (developed by us), we will determine the functions of CKs and AtDIR proteins in the modification of cell cycle activity upon exposure to CWD. The challenging tasks of this project will be fulfilled by a team composed of experienced and young researchers with expertise in CK signalling and CK-mediated control over plant development on one side as well as experts in CW biology on the other one. The complementary expertise of the project team will generate the necessary synergistic effects that will be critical for

Publications

Total number of publications: 3

2018

2017

2016

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