The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was i ....The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was identified through a transcriptional interaction with a membrane localised bHLHm1 transcription factor. Both bHLHm1 and AMF1 belong to a unique chromosomal regulatory locus common across sequenced dicot plant species.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH140100013
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,972,614.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. This research hub aims to provide Australian growers and industrial stakeholders with improved plant materials to maximise production, environmental sustainability and profitability. In particular, the research aims to improve the nitrogen delivery capacity of legumes and their resilience to abiotic stress, which will be an important consideration as our climate changes. Grain legu ....ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. ARC Research Hub for Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture. This research hub aims to provide Australian growers and industrial stakeholders with improved plant materials to maximise production, environmental sustainability and profitability. In particular, the research aims to improve the nitrogen delivery capacity of legumes and their resilience to abiotic stress, which will be an important consideration as our climate changes. Grain legumes are often grown in rotation with cereal crops for their high nutritional seed value and their unique ability to develop a self-sufficient nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with soil bacteria. Maintaining legume productivity against the challenges of climate change and the need for increased food production is important to the future of Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental informati ....Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental information on why some species can form nitrogen-fixing nodules by examining the role of plant hormones. This will build the knowledge base required to potentially expand this symbiosis into non-legumes, harnessing the huge advantage nodule forming species have in staple crops.Read moreRead less
Identification of novel plant transporters responsible for sucrose efflux. This project aims to clone and functionally characterise previously unknown membrane proteins that facilitate high rates of sucrose efflux from cells located at key transport bottlenecks regulating sucrose transport throughout the plant body and hence plant productivity. These aims will be realised through employing systems specifically designed to clone and functionally characterise sucrose efflux proteins encoded in pla ....Identification of novel plant transporters responsible for sucrose efflux. This project aims to clone and functionally characterise previously unknown membrane proteins that facilitate high rates of sucrose efflux from cells located at key transport bottlenecks regulating sucrose transport throughout the plant body and hence plant productivity. These aims will be realised through employing systems specifically designed to clone and functionally characterise sucrose efflux proteins encoded in plant genomes. Expected outcomes will be an understanding of sucrose transport throughout the plant body, build a valuable international partnership and open up new biotechnological opportunities to improve crop yield.Read moreRead less
Carbon flux and its regulation in metabolic networks. Allocation of photo-assimilates throughout metabolic networks are central to a plants ability to cope with changes in its environment. This project will combine the use of quantitative molecular, chemical and imaging techniques to characterise the flux of resources and its regulation through metabolic networks of Australian native and crop plants.
The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the commo ....The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the common and divergent roles of hormones in these symbioses is essential to provide researchers and breeders with new tools to maximise nutrient acquisition by legumes, important crops contributing an estimated one billion Australian dollars per year to the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Genetics, genomics and evolution of flowering time control in legumes. Flowering in plants is strongly regulated by environmental factors, with important consequences for their natural distribution and use in agriculture. This project will characterise genes, genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms that control flowering in legumes, contributing to fundamental biology, crop improvement and research training.
The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot ....The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot tip demand for sugar is predominant in apical dominance; enhanced sucrose, a mobile sugar, is necessary and sufficient for the initial growth of buds. This project aims to expand this theory, revealing underlying components involved in sucrose action and describe how the network of sugar demand and hormones acts to control shoot architecture.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100800
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,693.00
Summary
Legume meristem signalling peptides: an untapped niche. This project aims to characterise novel signalling peptides regulating legume stem cell niches to enhance molecular-genetic networks and uncover potential key targets for crop improvement. Legumes represent agricultural sustainability through their decreased fertiliser requirements resulting in reduced carbon and nitrogen footprints. However, their unique gene signalling networks are poorly understood in comparison to traditional cereal cro ....Legume meristem signalling peptides: an untapped niche. This project aims to characterise novel signalling peptides regulating legume stem cell niches to enhance molecular-genetic networks and uncover potential key targets for crop improvement. Legumes represent agricultural sustainability through their decreased fertiliser requirements resulting in reduced carbon and nitrogen footprints. However, their unique gene signalling networks are poorly understood in comparison to traditional cereal crops. The proposed research intends to generate new knowledge in peptide signalling, plant development and legume symbiosis using multidisciplinary techniques. Expected project outcomes will increase understanding of peptide signalling in legume growth and adaption with useful findings for crop enhancement.Read moreRead less
Why is the peribacteroid membrane transcription factor SAT1 required for legume nitrogen fixation and what is its role in other symbiotic systems? This project will investigate the functional activity of the plant membrane bound basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor SAT1 in both nitrogen fixing (Rhizobia) and phosphorus acquiring (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal) symbioses found in plants. The project will identify its regulation and downstream activities across both symbiosis using selected ....Why is the peribacteroid membrane transcription factor SAT1 required for legume nitrogen fixation and what is its role in other symbiotic systems? This project will investigate the functional activity of the plant membrane bound basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor SAT1 in both nitrogen fixing (Rhizobia) and phosphorus acquiring (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal) symbioses found in plants. The project will identify its regulation and downstream activities across both symbiosis using selected legumes and or cereals.Read moreRead less