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Investigating the role of strigolactones in root system architecture
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Richmond, Bethany (2023) Investigating the role of strigolactones in root system architecture. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3944205
Abstract
Regulation of root architecture impacts plant health and fitness, thus characterising these changes are of great importance to agriculture. More efficient crops with greater yields are needed to feed the ever-growing population, under the more variable environmental conditions brought by the climate crisis. Understanding the molecular processes regulating root system architecture environmental responsiveness could better inform agricultural practice. Strigolactones are small plant signalling molecules that are involved in symbiotic plant-microbe interaction signalling, such as in legume-rhizobial nodulation. Strigolactones are also endogenous plant cues that regulate many plant developmental processes, in concert with other plant hormones.
This work aimed to elucidate the role of strigolactones in root system architecture. Transgenic mutant lines with knockdown or reduced expression of key strigolactone biosynthesis and signalling genes (max3-9, max4-1, and d14-1) were found to exhibit altered root phenotypes including long, dense root hairs compared to wildtype. RNA sequencing was used to investigate root transcriptomic changes in (max4-1 and max2-1). Of note was that flavonoid biosynthesis was significantly downregulated in the strigolactone signalling mutant max2-1. This downregulation was validated through reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of key flavonoid biosynthesis genes on whole plant tissue. Root tip accumulation of flavonoids was also found to be significantly decreased in the strigolactone signalling mutant, as shown through confocal microscopy of roots stained with diphenylboric ethyl ester (DPBA), a fluorescent flavonoid stain.
Wildtype plants treated with the synthetic strigolactone analogue GR244DO were found to have significantly longer lateral roots and shorter root hairs compared to mock treated roots. Transcriptomic changes underlying these phenotypes were investigated through RNA-sequencing, finding a significant enrichment of photosynthesis-related genes with GR244DO treatment compared to mock treatment.
Overall, this work posits strigolactone as an important regulator of nutrient and energy acquisition, through modulation of root system architecture and light-harvesting, according to environmental cues.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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Subjects: | Q Science > QK Botany | ||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Roots (Botany), Roots (Botany) -- Formation, Plant cellular signal transduction, Growth (Plants) -- Regulation, Flavonoids | ||||
Official Date: | February 2023 | ||||
Dates: |
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Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
Theses Department: | School of Life Sciences | ||||
Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Gifford, Miriam L. | ||||
Format of File: | |||||
Extent: | xiv, 152 pages : colour illustrations | ||||
Language: | eng |
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