CHROMORPHO

Chromatin Dynamics of Stem Cells and Lineage Commitment in Plant Development

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'In recent years chromatin has emerged as an extremely dynamic platform for establishing and maintaining gene expression programs. Chemical alterations of DNA and histone proteins, nucleosome positioning and histone variant usage collectively allow the formation of complex combinatorial codes of chromatin modifications that determine local DNA accessibility to transcription and transcript processing machineries. As in animals, plant stem cell identity and lineage commitment are controlled by unique transcription factor networks and conserved chromatin factors including nucleosome remodelers, histone variants and histone modifiers of the Polycomb group (PcG, epigenetic repressors) as well as Trithorax group (TrxG, epigenetic activators). Moreover, in stem cells the histone variant H2A.Z collaborates with PcG factors and is pivotal for timely activation of differentiation genes during the transition to lineage commitment. Although more of these tantalizing concepts in the plant and animal chromatin field have recently surfaced non have hitherto been proven in vivo by studying specific cell types derived from developing organisms. I believe plants can become the next stepping-stone in our understanding of these developmental chromatin concepts. Due to lack of cell migration, easy supply of in vivo derived material as well as extensive collections of genetic backgrounds plants offer a unparalleled opportunity to study cell type specific chromatin changes along the trajectory of cell lineage commitment. I here propose to use Arabidopsis root development as a model system in combination with fluorescence assisted cell sorting, chromatin immuno-precipitation and genome-wide analysis of a set of chromatin parameters. This unique study will reveal parallels and diverging concepts of plant and animal development at the chromatin level and generate a deeper understanding of plant patterning processes that could lead to substantial crop improvements.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A recent project has developed a method for studying how gene expression is controlled in plant stem cells.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

In all living things, DNA that is not actively needed is packaged and bundled together with proteins and other molecules into a substance known as chromatin. Chromatin controls the fate of differentiating stem cells in animals, but it is not clear whether this occurs in plants too.

The EU-funded 'Chromatin dynamics of stem cells and lineage commitment in plant development' (CHROMORPHO) project investigated this by developing a model system to study chromatin during stem cell differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana roots.

Much of the work of CHROMORPHO focused on establishing this high-throughput model system. The method used fluorescence to sort different types of cells, and advanced biochemical techniques to study which chromatin proteins were associated with each cell type.

Researchers put the system into practice to study specific proteins involved with differentiating stem cells. They have identified one group of proteins, the polycomb system, which is required for stem cells to remain undifferentiated.

The method advanced in CHROMORPHO will yield a huge amount of data about chromatin in plant stem cells. Knowledge gained in this way will provide plant breeders with new ways to optimise and improve future crops.