Tracing Evolution of Auxin Transport and Polarity in Plants
Objective
Multicellularity in plants
evolved independently from other eukaryotes and presents a unique,
alternative way how to deal with challenges of life. A major plant
developmental module is the directional transport for the plant hormone
auxin. The crucial components are PIN auxin transporters, whose polar,
subcellular localization determines directionality of auxin flow through
tissues. PIN-dependent auxin transport represents a unique model for
studying the functional link between basic cellular processes, such as
vesicle trafficking and cell polarity, and their developmental outcome
at the level of the multicellular organism. Despite decades of intensive
research, the classical approaches in the established models are
approaching their limits and many crucial questions remain unsolved, in
particular related to PIN structure, regulatory motifs and evolutionary
origin
The grant proposes to use an evolutionary perspective in
approaching the topic of auxin transport and its molecular mechanism as
well as the multitude of its developmental roles. This promises to
overcome current limitations and provides not only (i) interesting
insights into PIN evolution and diversification, but also (ii) a unique
opportunity to study how evolutionary conserved cellular mechanisms of
e.g. endocytic trafficking evolved specific plug-ins to make them
subject to plant-specific regulations. The characterization of (iii)
prokaryotic PIN origin will provide a so urgently needed (iv) entry into
PIN structural studies. To achieve these goals, we will also establish
novel (v) genetic and cell biological models in the ancestral lineage of
the land plants that will be of a great use for any plant evolutionary
studies.
The intellectual and methodological challenges of such
interdisciplinary strategy combining several lower and higher plant
models are obvious, but our preliminary results at several fronts
promise its feasibility and success to gain deeper understanding of
exciting questions on evolution and mechanisms behind the coordination
and specification of developmental programs.
Project details
Project reference: 742985
EU contribution: EUR 2 410 292
Duration: From 2018-01-01 to 2022-12-31
Funded under: H2020-EU.1.1. – EXCELLENT SCIENCE – European Research Council (ERC)
Contract type: ERC-2016-ADG – ERC Advanced Grant
Principal investigator: Prof. Jiří Friml
