ARSEEDAS

Alternative splicing of NADPH-Oxidases as a mechanism for seed dormancy regulation

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'This project brings together a top-class, young researcher from Germany, Kerstin Müller with two world-leading experts on complementary aspects of seed biology: Prof. Mike Holdsworth at Nottingham University UK and Prof. Allison Kermode at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada. The project will work on the very active and timely field of alternative splicing during seed after-ripening and its connection with the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Seeds can enter a state of dormancy in which they fail to germinate under ideal conditions. Dormancy can be broken by after-ripening (air-dry storage at room temperature). The mechanisms underlying this economically and environmentally important process are not understood. Alternative mRNA splicing might play a role in dormancy regulation in seeds: it would be a flexible and fast way of reacting to changes in the environment. The superoxide-producing NADPH-Oxidase AtrbohB is alternatively spliced in seeds depending on developmental status and the presence of ABA, and atrbohB mutants fail to after-ripen. The proposed interdisciplinary project will investigate mRNA-splice forms and superoxide production by rbohs in Arabidopsis and two other selected species during after-ripening and germination and focus on the the relation between ABA signalling, rbohs and alternative splicing in Arabidopsis seeds. This research will uncover novel findings on after-ripening and alternative splicing which will be published in international journals and at conferences. Long term collaboration will be set up between the Simon Fraser University and Nottingham University. Kerstin Müller will gain valuable experience in both state-of-the-art laboratory techniques as well as a range of complimentary skills whilst working in Canada, from which Nottingham University and the European Research Area in general will benefit both by transfer of knowledge and by promoting the Europe-based career of a promising young scientist.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Plant biologists have uncovered key information about seed dormancy and germination that will be applied in agriculture, forestry and conservation research.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Seed dormancy can be broken through species-specific methods like air-dry storage at room temperature or moist chilling. If conditions are favourable, the seeds will germinate, but if not they can re-enter dormancy.

This process is known as dormancy cycling, and though it is both economically and environmentally important, it is not well-understood. The EU-funded 'Alternative splicing of NADPH-oxidases as a mechanism for seed dormancy regulation' (ARSEEDAS) project linked seed biology experts from Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom to shed some light on the issue.

Researchers studied the role of reactive oxygen species, and the enzymes that produce them, during the transition from dormancy to germination and early growth. They also advanced new laboratory protocols, including a method to study water uptake in small seeds using magnetic resonance imaging.

A major finding was that histones (the proteins that package DNA tightly within the nucleus) are modified in response to environmental conditions (epigenetic regulation). This affects the expression of plant hormone genes, even in distantly related species, so researchers now consider it a key plant life-cycle process.

These new insights have contributed to a growing body of knowledge about seed dormancy and germination, which occurs in many important crops and trees. As such, this research will inform future developments in agriculture, forestry and plant conservation efforts.