Assembly of the signaling pathway for organogenic competence in tomato

• Grant number: 13/20171-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2014
• End date: October 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Vargas de Oliveira Figueira
• Grantee: Mariana da Silva Azevedo
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There are three main stages dividing the de novo formation of shoots or roots in vitro: competence acquisition, induction and determination. It is therefore possible to postulate that the lack of in vitro regeneration occurs due to a failure of the explant to acquire the necessary competence to carry on with the induction process. Recent evidence indicates that competence acquisition is the same for both shoots or roots, and that tissues capable of regenerating new organs generally have preexisting cell populations with identity similar to the pericycle. Such cells are considered equivalent to initial meristematic cells (stem cells), lacking strong commitment to specific developmental pathways. Moreover, such cells can take different developmental pathways, what justifies the idea that cells more competent to form new shoots are also more competent to form roots. Thus, the current competence concept identifies with pluripotency (ability to take different developmental pathways). It is therefore relevant to characterize new mutants altering competence acquisition, as well as new genes involved in this pathway. The aim of this work is to understand the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of competence for in vitro regeneration by analyzing the involvement of several genes in this process through mutant and transgenic tomatoes. In vitro tests, anatomical analyses, molecular markers and gene expression analyzes will be used for the assembly of the signaling pathway for organogenic competence in tomato. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

AZEVEDO, Mariana da Silva. In vitro organogenic competence of tomato lineages MT-Rg1 and MT-procera (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv Micro-Tom). 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB) Piracicaba.