FLOWERING CHROMATIN

Control of flowering time by chromatin remodelling

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'One of the most exciting aspects of plant science today is how much it contributes to general concepts in biology. The ability to combine a genetic analysis with detailed molecular and biochemical approaches offers real advantages for mechanistic analysis. A fascinating aspect of plant development and an economically very important trait is the switch from vegetative to reproductive development. Flowering time is the most studied developmental transition in plants and our molecular understanding of the genetic pathways regulating flowering time has explained the physiological characteristics that have intrigued biologists for over a century. Many flowering time genetic screens have identified a series of chromatin activities conserved among most complex organisms. The study of this conserved chromatin factors are not only relevant for plant development but for human cells as well because their misregulation is often associated with diseases such as cancer. I propose to study the interplay between SWR1 and NuA4 chromatin remodelling complexes in the control of flowering time. This innovative proposal differs from conventional flowering time studies by using genetic analysis combined with high-resolution chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments and protein complex purification. Collected data will allow comparison with the situation in non-plant systems, which will help the research community to develop a mechanistic consensus model on chromatin regulation in different kingdoms and further broaden our understanding on fundamental cellular processes. Moreover, comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of flowering time will allow enhancement of crop performance by modulating this trait at the molecular level and will thus be of great value to address the problems of food security that our society will be facing with the postulated global climate changes ahead.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A recent research project has found key proteins that control flowering time in plants, allowing an unprecedented understanding of this economically important process.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The process by which plants change from a vegetative to a reproductive state has intrigued horticulturalists and agrarian researchers for decades. Recent evidence suggests that chromatin-modifying proteins control this switch in biological states. Chromatin is the complex of DNA, RNA and proteins found in cell nuclei.

With EU funding, the 'Control of flowering time by chromatin remodelling' (FLOWERING CHROMATIN) project aimed to elucidate the control of this important biological function using several different biochemical and molecular biology tools.

Researchers focused on two chromatin-remodelling complexes, SWR1 and NuA4, which are common to most plants, animals and fungi. Specifically, FLOWERING CHROMATIN investigated proteins SWC4 and YAF9 (common to both SWR1 and NuA4 complexes in yeast) in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model flowering plant.

Studies of these proteins confirmed that they did indeed form part of a chromatin-remodelling complex in A. thaliana. Researchers found that both proteins regulate the expression of key genes that control flowering.

Scientists studied the mechanism of action further, finding that these flowering genes are controlled by altering the chromatin structure. Known as histone deposition, this alteration of chromatin leads to a large increase in gene activity in a particular area of the genome.

The findings of FLOWERING CHROMATIN will be useful in the search for improved crop performance in the face of global climate change. Further, this work improves scientists' understanding of chromatin regulation and remodelling in plants.