[en] Manipulating plant architecture is key to increase crop yield. In this perspective, basic knowledge on the molecular mechanisms regulating plant growth and development will be fundamental for the future of agriculture. Recent progress indicates that a family of plant genes, homologous to POSPHADITYLETHANOLAMINE-BINDING PROTEINS (PEBP) in other eukaryotes, plays critical roles in controlling shoot development traits such as branching, flowering, bud dormancy or tuberization. Very little is known however on the functions of these genes in root development. The current research will attempt to answer this question in the case of Cichorium intybus, a biannual plant cultivated for the extraction of inulin (a polymer of fructose) from its root.
Functional analyses will include expression kinetics, complementation tests in Arabidopsis mutants and creation of PEBP- overexpressing or silencing chicory plants. The preliminary steps of the project are the identification of PEBP genes in chicory by in silico analyses, the determination of the time of the storage root initiation and the establishment of a regeneration protocol for the genetic transformation.
