ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5015-6156
Current Organisation
Grains Research and Development Corp
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Catalysis and mechanisms of reactions | Electrochemistry | Functional materials | Physical chemistry | Electrochemical energy storage and conversion
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 20-07-2022
Abstract: In recent years, researchers have attempted to improve photosynthesis by introducing components from cyanobacterial and algal CO2-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) into terrestrial C3 plants. For these attempts to succeed, we need to understand the CCM components in more detail, especially carbonic anhydrase (CA) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) transporters. Heterologous complementation systems capable of detecting carbonic anhydrase activity (i.e., catalysis of the pH-dependent interconversion between CO2 and HCO3−) or active HCO3− transport can be of great value in the process of introducing CCM components into terrestrial C3 plants. In this study, we generated a Saccharomyces cerevisiae CA knock-out (ΔNCE103 or ΔCA) that has a high-CO2-dependent phenotype (5% (v/v) CO2 in air). CAs produce HCO3− for anaplerotic pathways in S. cerevisiae therefore, the unavailability of HCO3− for neutral lipid biosynthesis is a limitation for the growth of ΔCA in ambient levels of CO2 (0.04% (v/v) CO2 in air). ΔCA can be complemented for growth at ambient levels of CO2 by expressing a CA from human red blood cells. ΔCA was also successfully complemented for growth at ambient levels of CO2 through the expression of CAs from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana. The ΔCA strain is also useful for investigating the activity of modified CAs, allowing for quick screening of modified CAs before putting them into the plants. CA activity in the complemented ΔCA strains can be probed using the Wilbur–Anderson assay and by isotope exchange membrane-inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). Other potential uses for this new ΔCA-based screening system are also discussed.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 21-04-2020
DOI: 10.1104/PP.20.00172
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-11-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1469-8137.2012.04373.X
Abstract: Disrupting pollen tube growth and fertilization in Arabidopsis plants leads to reduced seed set and silique size, providing a powerful genetic system with which to identify genes with important roles in plant fertility. A transgenic Arabidopsis line with reduced pollen tube growth, seed set and silique growth was used as the progenitor in a genetic screen to isolate suppressors with increased seed set and silique size. This screen generated a new allele of INDEHISCENT ( IND ), a gene originally identified by its role in valve margin development and silique dehiscence (pod shatter). IND forms part of a regulatory network that involves several other transcriptional regulators and involves the plant hormones GA and auxin. Using GA and auxin mutants that alter various aspects of reproductive development, we have identified novel roles for IND , its paralogue HECATE 3, and the MADS box proteins SHATTERPROOF 1/2 in flower and fruit development. These results suggest that modified forms of the regulatory network originally described for the Arabidopsis valve margin, which include these genes and/or their recently evolved paralogs, function in multiple components of GA /auxin‐regulated reproductive development.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 29-04-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.04.28.441895
Abstract: A fundamental limitation of photosynthetic carbon fixation is the availability of CO 4 . In C 4 plants, primary carboxylation occurs in mesophyll cytosol, and little is known about the role of CO 2 diffusion in facilitating C 4 photosynthesis. We have examined the expression, localization, and functional role of selected plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins (PIPs) from Setaria italica (foxtail millet) and discovered that SiPIP2 is CO 2 -permeable. When ectopically expressed in mesophyll cells of S. viridis (green foxtail), SiPIP2 was localized to the plasma membrane and caused no marked changes in leaf biochemistry. Gas-exchange and C 18 O 16 O discrimination measurements revealed that targeted expression of SiPIP2 enhanced the conductance to CO 2 diffusion from the intercellular airspace to the mesophyll cytosol. Our results demonstrate that mesophyll conductance limits C 4 photosynthesis at low p CO 2 and that SiPIP2 is a functional CO 2 permeable aquaporin that can improve CO 2 diffusion at the airspace/mesophyll interface and enhance C 4 photosynthesis.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-09-2011
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-02-2010
DOI: 10.1093/JXB/ERQ015
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 17-10-2021
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 28-03-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.26.437249
Abstract: Aquaporins (AQPs) are multifunctional membrane proteins which have greatly ersified in number and function in the plant Kingdom. In plants, AQPs have evolved to comprise a dynamic solute transport network occurring in all tissues and facilitating transport of water and vital solutes across various cellular membranes. Plant AQPs are involved in a multitude of plant physiological processes, however a better understanding is required of AQP structure-function relationships, multifunctionality and cell membrane localisation in order to begin to describe putative functional roles for the numerous plant AQP gene isoforms. Using an integrated approach, we characterised nine erse Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) aquaporins, spanning the 3 largest AQP subfamilies (PIP, TIP, and NIP) and with varied gene expression profiles. High-throughput yeast-based functional screens identified novel candidates for water, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), boric acid (BA) and urea transport across the 3 AQP subfamilies. Using GFP translational fusions, AQPs observed in planta were localised to the plasma membrane, tonoplast and endoplasmic reticulum. AlphaFold protein models illustrated differences in pore shape and size across subfamilies. Our analysis supports the importance of functional data for deciphering unknown AQP structure-function relationships and uncovering novel candidates for in planta solute transport.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 17-08-2015
Abstract: Hybrids have an important role in many crops used for global food production. The increased production levels of biomass and grain are restricted to the first-generation hybrid. We report stabilization of hybrid vigor traits in pure breeding hybrid mimic lines. Comparison of the patterns of their gene activity with those of the F1 hybrids has identified metabolic pathways associated with the generation of the hybrid vigor phenotype. The hybrid mimics are homozygous for long chromosomal segments showing that heterozygosity is not required for the production of the heterotic phenotype. Interactions between the two parental genomes and epigenomes contribute to the vigor of the Arabidopsis hybrids and are likely to be the basis of hybrid vigor in other plant species.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-08-2012
DOI: 10.4161/EPI.20820
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 10-05-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.09.443061
Abstract: Plant aquaporins have many more functions than just transporting water. Within the ersity of plant aquaporins are isoforms capable of transporting signaling molecules, nutrients, metalloids and gases. It is established that aquaporin substrate discrimination depends on combinations of factors such as solute size, pore size and polarity, and post-translational protein modifications. But our understanding of the relationships between variation in aquaporin structures and the implications for permeability is limited. High-throughput yeast-based assays were developed to assess erse substrate permeabilities to water, H 2 O 2 , boric acid, urea and Na + . All 13 plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) from Arabidopsis (AtPIPs) were permeable to both water and H 2 O 2 , although their effectiveness varied, and none were permeable to urea. AtPIP2 isoforms were more permeable to water than AtPIP1s, while AtPIP1s were more efficient at transporting H 2 O 2 with AtPIP1 and AtPIP1 being the most permeable. Among the AtPIP2s, AtPIP2 and AtPIP2 were also permeable to boric acid and Na + . Linking AtPIP substrate profiles with phylogenetics and gene expression data enabled us to align substrate preferences with known biological roles of AtPIPs and importantly guide towards unidentified roles hidden by functional redundancy at key developmental stages and within tissue types. This analysis positions us to more strategically test in planta physiological roles of AtPIPs in order to unravel their complex contributions to the transport of important substrates, and secondly, to resolve links between aquaporin protein structure, substrate discrimination, and transport efficiency. Yeast based high throughput assays were developed to assess the permeability of each Arabidopsis PIP aquaporin isoform to water, H 2 O 2 , boric acid, urea and sodium.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 20-02-2022
DOI: 10.1093/JXB/ERAC065
Abstract: In plants with C3 photosynthesis, increasing the diffusion conductance for CO2 from the substomatal cavity to chloroplast stroma (mesophyll conductance) can improve the efficiencies of both CO2 assimilation and photosynthetic water use. In the diffusion pathway from substomatal cavity to chloroplast stroma, the plasmalemma and chloroplast envelope membranes impose a considerable barrier to CO2 diffusion, limiting photosynthetic efficiency. In an attempt to improve membrane permeability to CO2, and increase photosynthesis in tobacco, we generated transgenic lines in Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Petite Havana carrying either the Arabidopsis PIP1 (AtPIP1 ) or PIP1 (AtPIP1 ) gene driven by the constitutive dual 2x35S CMV promoter. From a collection of independent T0 transgenics, two T2 lines from each gene were characterized, with western blots confirming increased total aquaporin protein abundance in the AtPIP1 tobacco lines. Transient expression of AtPIP1 -mGFP6 and AtPIP1 -mGFP6 fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana identified that both AtPIP1 and AtPIP1 localize to the plasmalemma. Despite achieving ectopic production and correct localization, gas exchange measurements combined with carbon isotope discrimination measurements detected no increase in mesophyll conductance or CO2 assimilation rate in the tobacco lines expressing AtPIP. We discuss the complexities associated with trying to enhance gm through modified aquaporin activity.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-11-2020
Abstract: The dynamics of leaf photosynthesis in fluctuating light affects carbon gain by plants. Mesophyll conductance (gm) limits CO2 assimilation rate (A) under the steady state, but the extent of this limitation under non-steady-state conditions is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the dynamics of gm and the limitations to A imposed by gas diffusional and biochemical processes under fluctuating light. The induction responses of A, stomatal conductance (gs), gm, and the maximum rate of RuBP carboxylation (Vcmax) or electron transport (J) were investigated in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.)) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). We first characterized gm induction after a change from darkness to light. Each limitation to A imposed by gm, gs and Vcmax or J was significant during induction, indicating that gas diffusional and biochemical processes limit photosynthesis. Initially, gs imposed the greatest limitation to A, showing the slowest response under high light after long and short periods of darkness, assuming RuBP-carboxylation limitation. However, if RuBP-regeneration limitation was assumed, then J imposed the greatest limitation. gm did not vary much following short interruptions to light. The limitation to A imposed by gm was the smallest of all the limitations for most of the induction phase. This suggests that altering induction kinetics of mesophyll conductance would have little impact on A following a change in light. To enhance the carbon gain by plants under naturally dynamic light environments, attention should therefore be focused on faster stomatal opening or activation of electron transport.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-06-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12870-020-02412-5
Abstract: Cellular membranes are dynamic structures, continuously adjusting their composition, allowing plants to respond to developmental signals, stresses, and changing environments. To facilitate transmembrane transport of substrates, plant membranes are embedded with both active and passive transporters. Aquaporins (AQPs) constitute a major family of membrane spanning channel proteins that selectively facilitate the passive bidirectional passage of substrates across biological membranes at an astonishing 10 8 molecules per second. AQPs are the most ersified in the plant kingdom, comprising of five major subfamilies that differ in temporal and spatial gene expression, subcellular protein localisation, substrate specificity, and post-translational regulatory mechanisms collectively providing a dynamic transportation network spanning the entire plant. Plant AQPs can transport a range of solutes essential for numerous plant processes including, water relations, growth and development, stress responses, root nutrient uptake, and photosynthesis. The ability to manipulate AQPs towards improving plant productivity, is reliant on expanding our insight into the ersity and functional roles of AQPs. We characterised the AQP family from Nicotiana tabacum (NtAQPs tobacco), a popular model system capable of scaling from the laboratory to the field. Tobacco is closely related to major economic crops (e.g. tomato, potato, eggplant and peppers) and itself has new commercial applications. Tobacco harbours 76 AQPs making it the second largest characterised AQP family. These fall into five distinct subfamilies, for which we characterised phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, protein sequences, selectivity filter compositions, sub-cellular localisation, and tissue-specific expression. We also identified the AQPs from tobacco’s parental genomes ( N. sylvestris and N. tomentosiformis ), allowing us to characterise the evolutionary history of the NtAQP family. Assigning orthology to tomato and potato AQPs allowed for cross-species comparisons of conservation in protein structures, gene expression, and potential physiological roles. This study provides a comprehensive characterisation of the tobacco AQP family, and strengthens the current knowledge of AQP biology. The refined gene rotein models, tissue-specific expression analysis, and cross-species comparisons, provide valuable insight into the evolutionary history and likely physiological roles of NtAQPs and their Solanaceae orthologs. Collectively, these results will support future functional studies and help transfer basic research to applied agriculture.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.TIG.2013.07.004
Abstract: Hybrid vigour, or heterosis, refers to the increased yield and biomass of hybrid offspring relative to the parents. Although this has been exploited in plants for agriculture and horticulture, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying hybrid vigour are largely unknown. Genetic analyses show that there are a large number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that contribute to the heterotic phenotype, indicating that it is a complex phenomenon. Gene expression in hybrids is regulated by the interactions of the two parental epigenetic systems and the underlying genomes. Increasing understanding of the interplay of small RNA (sRNA) molecules, DNA methylation, and histone marks provides new opportunities to define the basis of hybrid vigour and to understand why F1 heterosis is not passed on to subsequent generations. We discuss recent findings that suggest the existence of several pathways that alter DNA methylation patterns, which may lead to transcriptional changes resulting in the heterotic phenotype.
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 29-11-2021
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.70095
Abstract: A fundamental limitation of photosynthetic carbon fixation is the availability of CO 2 . In C 4 plants, primary carboxylation occurs in mesophyll cytosol, and little is known about the role of CO 2 diffusion in facilitating C 4 photosynthesis. We have examined the expression, localization, and functional role of selected plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins (PIPs) from Setaria italica (foxtail millet) and discovered that SiPIP2 is CO 2 -permeable. When ectopically expressed in mesophyll cells of Setaria viridis (green foxtail), SiPIP2 was localized to the plasma membrane and caused no marked changes in leaf biochemistry. Gas exchange and C 18 O 16 O discrimination measurements revealed that targeted expression of SiPIP2 enhanced the conductance to CO 2 diffusion from the intercellular airspace to the mesophyll cytosol. Our results demonstrate that mesophyll conductance limits C 4 photosynthesis at low p CO 2 and that SiPIP2 is a functional CO 2 permeable aquaporin that can improve CO 2 diffusion at the airspace/mesophyll interface and enhance C 4 photosynthesis.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-2019
DOI: 10.1104/PP.18.01205
Abstract: Hybrids are used extensively in agriculture due to their superior performance in seed yield and plant growth, yet the molecular mechanisms underpinning hybrid performance are not well understood. Recent evidence has suggested that a decrease in basal defense response gene expression regulated by reduced levels of salicylic acid (SA) may be important for vigor in certain hybrid combinations. Decreasing levels of SA in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accession C24 through the introduction of the SA catabolic enzyme salicylate1 hydroxylase (NahG) increases plant size, phenocopying the large-sized C24/Landsberg erecta (Ler) F1 hybrids. C24♀ × Ler♂ F1 hybrids and C24 NahG lines shared differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with plant defense and leaf senescence including decreased expression of SA biosynthetic genes and SA response genes. The expression of TL1 BINDING TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1, a key regulator in resource allocation between growth and defense, was decreased in both the F1 hybrid and the C24 NahG lines, which may promote growth. Both C24 NahG lines and the F1 hybrids showed decreased expression of the key senescence-associated transcription factors WRKY53, NAC-CONTAINING PROTEIN29, and ORESARA1 with a delayed onset of senescence compared to C24 plants. The delay in senescence resulted in an extension of the photosynthetic period in the leaves of F1 hybrids compared to the parental lines, potentially allowing each leaf to contribute more resources toward growth.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 17-10-2016
Abstract: We show that the changes in DNA methylation that occur in F1 hybrids of Arabidopsis are mostly dependent on the presence of 24-nt siRNAs at the locus. The methylation change at a locus results in the two alleles becoming similar to each other in methylation pattern. The methylation changes occur through the processes of trans-chromosomal methylation and trans-chromosomal demethylation. These altered methylation states can be inherited in the F2 generation and can be associated with changes in levels of gene activity, which may contribute to the phenotypic heterogeneity in the F2.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 02-11-2015
Abstract: Hybrids are extensively used in agriculture to deliver increases in crop yields, yet the molecular basis of their superior performance (heterosis) is not well understood. We report that some Arabidopsis F1 hybrids show changes to salicylic acid- and auxin-regulated defense and stress response gene expression. These changes could be important for generating the greater growth of some hybrids given the antagonistic relationship between plant growth and defense responses. Hybrids showing different levels of heterosis have changes in the salicylic acid- and auxin-regulated pathways that correlate with differences in the enhanced leaf growth. The larger leaves, and thus greater capacity for energy production, support the increased growth vigor and seed yields of the hybrids.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 19-03-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1111/PCE.12844
Abstract: Aquaporins are channel proteins that function to increase the permeability of biological membranes. In plants, aquaporins are encoded by multigene families that have undergone substantial ersification in land plants. The plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) subfamily of aquaporins is of particular interest given their potential to improve plant water relations and photosynthesis. Flowering plants have between 7 and 28 PIP genes. Their expression varies with tissue and cell type, through development and in response to a variety of factors, contributing to the dynamic and tissue specific control of permeability. There are a growing number of PIPs shown to act as water channels, but those altering membrane permeability to CO
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 25-01-2011
Abstract: Intraspecific hybrids between the Arabidopsis thaliana accessions C24 and Landsberg erecta have strong heterosis. The reciprocal hybrids show a decreased level of 24-nt small RNA (sRNA) relative to the parents with the decrease greatest for those loci where the parents had markedly different 24-nt sRNA levels. The genomic regions with reduced 24-nt sRNA levels were largely associated with genes and their flanking regions indicating a potential effect on gene expression. We identified several ex les of genes with altered 24-nt sRNA levels that showed correlated changes in DNA methylation and expression levels. We suggest that such epigenetically generated differences in gene activity may contribute to hybrid vigor and that the epigenetic ersity between ecotypes provides increased allelic (epi-allelic) variability that could contribute to heterosis.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 21-01-2014
Abstract: Hybridization of two epigenetically distinct Arabidopsis accessions is associated with an altered methylome in the F1 hybrid brought about by the processes of Trans Chromosomal Methylation and deMethylation. In the loci studied, the altered F1 cytosine methylation ( m C) patterns are inherited to the F2. These observations of trans- m C events are reminiscent of paramutation described in maize and may be common in hybridization events. In one locus, the altered m C states are associated with changed mRNA levels in the F1 hybrid and F2 plants. These events may contribute to F1 hybrid vigor and to the phenotypic heterogeneity and loss of vigor in the F2 through segregation of genetic and epigenetic determinants.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/PCE.13851
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 06-06-2023
DOI: 10.1071/FP22260
Abstract: Dynamic changes in aquaporin gene expression occur during seed germination. One ex le is the ~30-fold increase in Arabidopsis thaliana PIP2 transcripts within 24 h of seed imbibition. To investigate whether AtPIP2 can influence seed germination wild-type Columbia-0, single (Atpip2 ) and double (Atpip2 -Atpip2 ) loss-of-function mutants, along with transgenic 2x35S::AtPIP2 over-expressing (OE) lines and null-segregant controls, were examined. The various genotypes were germinated in control and saline (75 mM NaCl treatment) conditions and tested for germination efficiency, imbibed seed maximum cross sectional (MCS) area, imbibed seed mass, and seed Na+ and K+ content. Seed lacking functional AtPIP2 and/or AtPIP2 proteins or constitutively over-expressing AtPIP2 , had delayed germination in saline conditions relative to wild-type and null-segregant seed, respectively. Exposure to saline germination conditions resulted in Atpip2 mutants having greater imbibed seed mass and less accumulated Na+ than wild-type, whereas lines over-expressing AtPIP2 had reduced imbibed seed mass and greater seed K+ content than null-segregant control seed. The results imply a role for AtPIP2 in seed germination processes, whether directly through its capacity for water and ion transport or H2O2 signalling, or indirectly through potentially triggering dynamic differential regulation of other aquaporins expressed during germination. Future research will aid in dissecting the aquaporin functions influencing germination and may lead to novel solutions for optimising germination in sub-optimal conditions, such as saline soils.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2021
DOI: 10.1002/PLD3.321
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 28-02-2020
DOI: 10.1093/JXB/ERZ555
Abstract: Seeds are the typical dispersal and propagation units of angiosperms and gymnosperms. Water movement into and out of seeds plays a crucial role from the point of fertilization through to imbibition and seed germination. A class of membrane intrinsic proteins called aquaporins (AQPs) assist with the movement of water and other solutes within seeds. These highly erse and abundant proteins are associated with different processes in the development, longevity, imbibition, and germination of seed. However, there are many AQPs encoded in a plant’s genome and it is not yet clear how, when, or which AQPs are involved in critical stages of seed biology. Here we review the literature to examine the evidence for AQP involvement in seeds and analyse Arabidopsis seed-related transcriptomic data to assess which AQPs are likely to be important in seed water relations and explore additional roles for AQPs in seed biology.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-07-2014
Abstract: Heterosis is important for agriculture however, little is known about the mechanisms driving hybrid vigor. Ultimately, heterosis depends on the interactions of specific alleles and epialleles provided by the parents, which is why hybrids can exhibit different levels of heterosis, even within the same species. We characterize the development of several intraspecific Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) F1 hybrids that show different levels of heterosis at maturity. We identify several phases of heterosis beginning during embryogenesis and culminating in a final phase of vegetative maturity and seed production. During each phase, the hybrids show different levels and patterns of growth, despite the close relatedness of the parents. For instance, during the vegetative phases, the hybrids develop larger leaves than the parents to varied extents, and they do so by exploiting increases in cell size and cell numbers in different ratios. Consistent with this finding, we observed changes in the expression of genes known to regulate leaf size in developing rosettes of the hybrids, with the patterns of altered expression differing between combinations. The data show that heterosis is dependent on changes in development throughout the growth cycle of the hybrid, with the traits of mature vegetative biomass and reproductive yield as cumulative outcomes of heterosis at different levels, tissues, and times of development.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.BBAGRM.2011.03.006
Abstract: In this review we have analysed two major biological systems involving epigenetic control of gene activity. In the first system we demonstrate the interplay between genetic and epigenetic controls over the transcriptional activity of FLC, a major repressor of flowering in Arabidopsis. FLC is down-regulated by low temperature treatment (vernalisation) releasing the repressor effect on flowering. We discuss the mechanisms of the reduced transcription and the memory of the vernalisation treatment through vegetative development. We also discuss the resetting of the repressed activity level of the FLC gene, following vernalisation, to the default high activity level and show it occurs during both male and female gametogenesis but with different timing in each. In the second part of the review discussed the complex multigenic system which is responsible for the patterns of gene activity which bring about hybrid vigour in crosses between genetically similar but epigenetically distinct parents. The epigenetic systems that we have identified as contributing to the heterotic phenotype are the 24nt siRNAs and their effects on RNA dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) at the target loci leading to changed expression levels. We conclude that it is likely that epigenetic controls are involved in expression systems in many aspects of plant development and plant function.
Start Date: 12-2023
End Date: 12-2030
Amount: $34,956,464.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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