Jahresbericht V13.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CEPL AS Annual Report 2015 Imprint Published by CEPLAS – Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf 40204 Düsseldorf Editors Prof. Dr. Andreas P. M. Weber (responsible) Dr. Céline Hönl Dr. Juliane Schmid Photos p. 4/5 istock.com/© Aydın Mutlu p. 8/9 fotolia.com/© Vasiliy Koval p. 24 Thomas Wrobel p. 70/71/73/77/98 (b.) Steffen Köhler p. 82/83 Siegfried Werth p. 98 (t.) atelier caer All other pictures: © CEPLAS Layout atelier caer, Düsseldorf CEPL AS Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2015 1. General presentation 1 2. Organisation 5 3. Research 9 3.1 Research Area A 10 3.1.1 Construction of a phylogenetic and genomic frame-work for the study of divergence of annual and perennial life cycles A1 Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of interspecific hybrids between A. montbretiana and A. alpina 11 A2 Analysis of the roles of PERPETUAL FLOWERING 1 direct target genes in perennial flowering and their divergence in sister annual species 12 A3 Comparison of annual-perennial species pairs across the Brassicaceae 12 A4 Nutrient recycling in the perennial plant Arabis alpina 13 A5 Molecular characterisation of senescence in annual and perennial plants 13 A6 Photoperiodic control of flowering time in Arabis alpina 14 3.1.2 Elucidation of regulatory networks that determine formation and identity of meristems A7 The control of adventitious root formation in the perennial Arabis alpina 15 A8 Developmental basis for asexual reproduction in Cardamine 15 A9 Mechanisms involved in perennial life cycle of Arabis alpina: The role of auxin in perennial traits 16 A10 The regulation of inflorescence branching in Arabis alpina 17 A11 The regulation of inflorescence branching in Arabis alpina 17 A12 Analysis of axillary meristem initiation in perennial plant Arabis alpina 18 A13 Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of tiller development in cultivated (Hordeum vulgare) and wild barley species (H. v. spp. spontaneum, H. bulbosum) 18 A14 Genetic dissection of natural variation in tiller development in cultivated and wild barley 19 A15 Genetic and environmental control of inflorescence development and floret fertility in barley and wheat 19 A16 Comparative transcriptome profiling of meristem states in annual and perennial Arabis and Arabidopsis species and hybrids 20 A17 Analysis of an evolutionary conserved module regulating root system development in monocot and dicot species 21 A18 Using receptor kinase pathways to modify plant traits 21 3.1.3 Modelling regulatory modules that differ between annual and perennial plants A19 Transcriptome Data Analysis and Optimal Experimental Design 22 Summary and Outlook 23 3.2 Research Area B 24 3.2.1 Evolutionary transcriptomics of C3 and C4 species pairs B1 Mesophyll and bundle-sheath-specific transcriptomes of 3C /C4 species pairs 25 Contents B2 Identification of 4C genetic determinants by a comparative transcriptome analysis of C3 and C4 Flaveria spp. and by forward genetics with Arabidopsis thaliana 26 B3 Circadian control of transcriptomes and proteomes of C3 / C4 species pairs 26 B4 Unravelling the mechanisms that control bundle-sheath cell size in leaves of C4 plants 27 B5 Establishing a functional link between leaf development and C4 photosynthesis 27 3.2.2 Genetic analyses with Arabidopsis thaliana for identifying genes involved in leaf anatomy and morphology B6 Unravelling the functional relationship between leaf anatomy and photosynthesis by mutational and synthetic approaches 28 B7 Genetic variation for leaf anatomy in Arabidopsis 29 B8 Light effects on leaf anatomy in Arabidopsis 29 B9 Differentiation of vascular veins and surrounding mesenchyme: the role of leaf meristems within adaptations to C4 anatomy 30 B10 Generation of synthetic tools for the engineering of C4 photosynthesis 30 3.2.3 Experimental evolution towards C4 photosynthesis B11 In silico exploration of paths towards C4 metabolism 31 B12 Experimental evolution towards C4 32 B13 Transforming Arabidopsis plants towards C4 metabolism 32 3.2.4 Regulation and metabolic interactions of C4 photosynthesis B14 The C4 cycle and its surrounding metabolism 33 B15 Alterations to the regulation of C4 enzymes during evolution of C4 photosynthesis 34 B16 Structural evolution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase (PPCK) in the genus Flaveria 34 B17 Nitrogen and Sulfur metabolism in C4 plants 35 B18 Mathematical modelling of acclimation processes of the photosynthetic electron transport chain in green algae and plants 35 Summary and Outlook 36 3.3 Research Area C 38 3.3.1 Structure, function and ecology of the plant microbiome C1 Characterisation of the mycobiome of Arabis alpina 40 C2 Characterisation of oomycete and protozoan species from tissues of A. thaliana and A. alpina 40 C3 Diversity of oomycetes and protists in intimate association with Arabidopsis 41 C4 Bioinformatic analysis of endophytic flora in A. thaliana and A. alpina 41 3.3.2 Understand how biotic and abiotic factors affect the composition and activities of plant associated microbial communities C5 Shaping of the Arabis alpina microbiome by plant host interactions with environmental factors – phosphorous limitation 42 C6 Role of WRK75 in phosphate, pathogen and temperature responses 43 C7 Investigation of the effect of temperature-modulated defense homeostasis on plant-microbe symbioses in Arabidopsis thaliana 43 C8 Environmental influences on pipecolic acid biosynthesis, defense priming, and systemic acquired resistance: light, nitrogen supply, and the C/N balance 44 C9 Mutualistic interactions of pathogenic and non-pathogenic protists in foliar biofilms 44 Annual Report 2015 C10 Role of fungal lifestyle and secreted effectors in multitrophic microbe – microbe and microbe – plant interactions 45 3.3.3 Identify the genes in both host and microbe that determine interaction outcome C11 Identification of plant growth promoting genes and pathways of bacterial symbionts in the A. thaliana rhizosphere 46 C12 Evolution of biotrophy in fungal symbionts: What can the genomes reveal? 47 C13 Functional characterisation of candidate effector proteins in the Sebacinales 47 C14 Role of fungal WSC lectin-like proteins in the interaction of endophytic fungi with plant roots 48 C15 Characterisation of a leaf-specific Ustilago maydis α-L-arabinofuranosidase 48 C16 Characterisation of the molecular mechanisms underpinning fungal beneficial effects in roots during tripartite interactions 49 C17 Development of a model system for smut fungus – Brassicaceae interaction 49 C18 The cumulative impact of environmental parameters to photosynthetic eukaryotes at a molecular level 50 3.3.4 Determine reciprocal effects of host-microbe interactions on secondary metabolites C19 Exploring the coordination of indole glucosinolate metabolism and ER body formation in plant fitness 51 3.3.5 Synthetic symbioses – shaping the microbiome to increase plant performance C20 Modelling algae and bacteria consortia 52 Summary and Outlook 52 3.4 Research Area D 54 3.4.1 Plant-microbe interactions in the context of plant defense reactions and plant nutrition D1 The impact of secondary metabolites on the composition of the endophytic microflora inArabidopsis thaliana 55 D2 Mathematical models of glucosinolate metabolism in plants 56 D3 Natural variation in the interaction of plants and bacteria in the rhizosphere 57 D4 MS-based identification of secondary metabolites crucial for plant-microbe interactions 57 D5 Characterising plant-bacteria interactions that promote the uptake of nitrogen and sulfur from organic sources 58 D6 Regulatory and evolutionary aspects of stress-inducible plant metabolic pathways 58 3.4.2 Signalling molecules, metabolic modules, and synthetic microorganisms D7 Characterising plant-bacteria interactions that promote the uptake of nitrogen and sulfur from organic sources 59 D8 Exploring the phytosulfokine triterpene pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana 60 D9 Synthetic microbes for the production of plant secondary metabolites 60 D10 Programming triterpene biosynthesis pathways in cyanobacteria using synthetic RNA-based devices 61 D11 Functional expression and biochemical characterisation of plant P450s 61 D12 In vitro analysis of selected ABC transporters from plants 62 Summary and Outlook 62 3.5 Publications 64 Contents 4. Plant Metabolism and Metabolomics Labs 71 4.1 Platform Düsseldorf 72 4.2 Platform Cologne 73 5. Promotion of young researchers 75 5.1 Research internships for undergraduates 76 5.2 Bachelor Programme in Quantitative Biology 77 5.3 CEPLAS Graduate School 78 5.4 CEPLAS Postdac Programme 79 5.5 Young researchers activities 80 6. Promotion of gender equality 83 6.1 Career support 84 6.2 Family support 85 7. Key figures 87 7.1 Staff 88 7.2 Finances 91 8. Public outreach 95 8.1 Public relations work 96 8.2 Political outreach 100 8.3 Press archive 101 9. Technology transfer and cooperation management 103 9.1 Presentation to industry 104 9.2 Planned cooperation with industry 104 9.3 Non-academic careers for young scientists 105 General presentation Annual Report 2015 Who we are The Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences – CEPLAS is funded in the context of the German Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State governments with 28 Mio €. CEPLAS is a Max-Planck-Institute for Plant Breeding Research joint research project of the Universities Düssel- dorf and Cologne, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research and the Forschungs- zentrum Jülich. Research goals The global demand for plant products is increas- plants to adapt to adverse environmental con-