A2: Environmental plasticity of asexual endosperm formation in Arabidopsis
Dr. Duarte Dionísio Figueiredo
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam Science Park, Am Muehlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam
Tel. +49-331-5678166, figueiredoumpimp-golm.mpgpde
Open positions:
Position CRC1644/A21 – PhD student Figueiredo group
Position CRC1644/A22 – PhD student Figueiredo group
Summary
A2 (Figueiredo) will investigate the plasticity of asexual endosperm development to ambient temperature. In many apomictic species that can form asexual seeds, the ratio of sexual versus asexual reproduction depends on the environment. In Arabidopsis, asexual seed development is seen in some mutants and can be induced in wild type by hormone treatment. The project will determine the reaction norms of hormone-induced asexual seed development to temperature across Arabidopsis accessions and study the underlying genetic basis for variation in plasticity by quantitative genetics, complemented by a candidate approach to study the intergration of temperature response across different seed tissues.
Project-related publications
B. Chen, L. Maas, D. D. Figueiredo, Y. Zhong; R. Reis; M. Li; A. Horstman; T. Riksen; M. Weemen; H. C. Siemons, S. Chen, G. C. Angenent, K. Boutilier. “BABY BOOM regulates early embryo and endosperm development”. 2022 PNAS 119 (25):e2201761119.
R.A. Batista, J. Moreno-Romero, Y. Qiu, J. van Boven, J. Santos-González, D.D. Figueiredo, C. Köhler. “The MADS-box transcription factor PHERES1 controls imprinting in the endosperm by binding to domesticated transposons”. 2019 eLife 8:e50541.
R.A. Batista*, D.D. Figueiredo*, J. Santos-González, C. Köhler. “Auxin regulates endosperm cellularization in Arabidopsis”. 2019 Genes & Development 33: 466-476.
D.D. Figueiredo, C. Köhler. “Auxin: a molecular trigger of seed development”. 2018 Genes & Development 32:479-490.
D.D. Figueiredo, R.A. Batista, P. Roszak, L. Hennig, C. Köhler, "Auxin production in the endosperm drives seed coat development in Arabidopsis". 2016 eLife 5:e20542.
D.D. Figueiredo, R.A. Batista, P. Roszak, C. Köhler, "Auxin production couples endosperm development to fertilization". 2015 Nature Plants1:15184.