Home  Research Development
|
Alan Marchant Project page |
 |
 |
Cell wall biosynthesis and auxin signalling
Although the cell wall is a vital structural component of plants regulating cell volume and shape, little is known about its biosynthesis. The plant cell wall consists of a network of cellulose microfibrils cross-linked by glycans. This cellulose-glycan network is embedded in a matrix made up predominantly of polysaccharides and proteoglycans. Pectin forms a major component of this matrix and is also found in the middle lamella between cells where it has a role in regulating cell-cell adhesion.
Contact Info |
 |
PI: Alan Marchant
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Alan Marchant Project page]
|
|
Åsa Strand Project Page |
|
|
Plastid-to-nucleus signalling pathways
The aim of our research is to dissect and elucidate the signalling pathways between the chloroplast and the nucleus that regulate the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplastic proteins. We use an integrative approach with a combination of genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry to understand the language of the chloroplasts.
Contact Info |
 |
PI: Åsa Strand
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Åsa Strand Project Page]
|
|
Björn Sundberg Home Page |
|
|
|
Wood formation
Secondary xylem (wood) is formed from the cambial meristem. Important fiber and wood properties such as biomass production, fiber morphology and cell wall structure and chemistry are determined during the wood-forming process. Our research is focused on the developmental and biosynthetic regulation of targeted aspects in this process using Arabidopsis and Populus as model plants.
Contact Info
|
 |
PI: Björn Sundberg
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Björn Sundberg Home Page]
|
|
Bo Zheng Project Page |
|
|
Towards early control of wood formation: Functional study of leucine-rich repeat receptor like kinases in poplar vascular cambium
Meristems consist of undifferentiated stem cells as well as proliferating cells that produce a variety of tissues of a plant. The two primary meristems at the shoot and root apices attract most attention to annual species like Arabidopsis thaliana. However, of forest trees, a large part of the biomass is produced by the vascular cambium. The vascular cambium forms a continuous cylinder of meristematic cells in the stem, producing both secondary phloem and secondary xylem of wood. The general aim of my project is to obtain genetic markers for different stages of vascular cambium development and differentiation; to identify and characterize genes involved in regulation of cambial meristem maintenance and differentiation; and to seek vascular cambial genes able to increase wood production by affecting the early stage of xylem development.
Contact info |
 |
PI: Bo Zheng
CoPI: Göran Sandberg
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Bo Zheng Project Page]
|
|
Brian Jones Project Page |
|
|
Vascular Cambium Function
Wood is derived from the vascular cambium (VC), a circumferential stem cell niche, or meristem, which in some species (e.g. the Bristlecone and Huon pines) maintains a population of undifferentiated stem cells and generates differentiated daughter cells for wood production for over a thousand years. Surprisingly, given its importance to commerce and the environment, although there has been a long tradition of anatomical and physiological analysis of the VC, almost nothing is known of the molecular bases of its establishment and function. In contrast, the study of the root and shoot apical meristems, that provide cells for tip growth, has advanced significantly in recent years. We are using the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. x Populus tremuloides Michx.) to investigate the cellular and molecular structure and function of the VC.
Contact Info
|
|
PI: Brian Jones
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Brian Jones Project Page]
|
|
Catherine Bellini Project Page |
|
|
I - Auxin control of adventitious rooting in Arabidopsis
Adventitious rooting is an essential step in the vegetative propagation of economically important horticultural and woody species. Development of adventitious roots is a complex process, which involves perception of morphogenetic signals and de novo formation of root meristems by cells of stems or leaves. Manipulation of environmental factors such as physiological conditions of donor plants, components in the medium, and incubation conditions have extended the number of species that can be regenerated.
Contact Info |
 |
PI: Catherine Bellini
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Catherine Bellini Project Page]
|
|
Edouard Pesquet Project page |
|
|
|
Xylem vessel morphogenesis
The evolution of plants from water onto land involved the development of systems for projecting their photosynthetic and reproductive organs up into the atmosphere. Xylem tissue is just such a system for it transports the water up to the leaves and its strength provides essential physical support. Sap is conducted through xylem tracheary elements (TEs) – hollow tubes whose collapse is prevented by patterned thickenings of secondary cell wall. The aim of my work is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the differentiation processes and more specifically the secondary cell wall formation of xylem vessels of both Arabidopsis (the genetic plant model) and Populus (the genetic tree model). The identification of key regulatory genes modulating xylem vessels cell wall formation will allow transgenic modification of the process to better understand how xylem/wood formation is controlled.
Contact Info
|
|
 |
| PI: Edouard Pesquet |
|
|
|
Read more... [Edouard Pesquet Project page]
|
|
Ewa Mellerowicz Project Page |
|
|
Wood fiber biosynthesis
The cell function depends heavily on the nature of its cell wall
Plant cells are delimited by an extra-cellular matrix called the cell wall. It is a complex structure, composed of a network of cellulose microfibrils interconnected by hemicellulose chains and incrusted by pectin and protein. Cells that are dead at maturity may impregnate their walls with lignin or suberin, which makes walls impervious to water.
Contact Info |
 |
| PI: Ewa Mellerowicz |
|
|
|
Read more... [Ewa Mellerowicz Project Page]
|
|
Göran Sandberg Project Page |
|
|
Auxin-Cytokinin interactions
It is well established that auxin:cytokinin ratios can be used to control shoot-formation from callus cultures of plant tissues in vitro. This ratio hypothesis has also been extended to other hormone-dependent morphological features and has become a commonly-accepted explanation of how cytokinins and auxins control plant development. We have used transgenic plants overproducing cytokinin or auxin by ectopic expression of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens ipt, or iaaM and iaaH genes to study the interplay between these two hormones and their control of plant development.
Contact Info |
 |
PI: Göran sandberg
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Göran Sandberg Project Page]
|
|
Hannele Tuominen Project Page |
|
|
Programmed death of xylem elements
The final stage of xylem development is the death of the xylem elements, which is genetically programmed and a prerequisite for their proper function in water transport and in providing physical support for the stem. The aim of my work is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying cell death in xylem fibres of Populus and how it affects density of wood, which is one of the most important traits of forest trees. Identification of fiber cell death regulatory genes allows transgenic modification of the process to test whether longer life time of xylem fibers, by extension of the cell wall deposition phase, increases wood density. Such genes are suitable targets for forest biotechnology purposes towards improved wood properties and as molecular markers in traditional forest tree breeding.
Contact Info |
 |
PI: Hannele Tuominen
|
|
|
|
Read more... [Hannele Tuominen Project Page]
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
Recent Publications
no articles found
|
|
March 2010 |
|
|
Mo
|
Tu
|
We
|
Th
|
Fr
|
Sa
|
Su
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research
|
