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Project properties |
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| Title | Investigating the role of phytohormone cytokinin in lateral root development under salt stress |
| Group | Plant Physiology, Laboratory of |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 18-39 ECTs |
| Supervisor(s) | Kilian Duijts |
| Examiner(s) | Prof. Dr. Christa Testerink |
| Contact info | kilian.duijts@wur.nl AND thesis.PPH@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2022/02/01 |
| End date | 2025/10/01 |
| Description | Saline soils are becoming an increasing threat to agriculture world wide. In contrast to animals that can move to avoid stressful conditions, plants are literally bound to their location. In response to unfavorable conditions they have evolved adaptive developmental strategies. A reduction of lateral root density is one of these strategies in response to salt. The way this developmental adaptation is regulated is still poorly understood.
We have previously identified a salt-induced transcription factor (SIT1) that controls root branching during salt stress. Using a Yeast 2 Hybrid screening we have identified a component (ARR) in the signaling pathway of the plant hormone cytokinin. Cytokinin is known to regulate lateral root development antagonistically with auxin under normal conditions, however little is known on its role during stress conditions. In this thesis you will further validate interactions of ARR with STF1 and extent our understanding of the role of cytokinin in salt-response. Further reading: 1. Julkowska, M. M. et al. Genetic Components of Root Architecture Remodeling in Response to Salt Stress. Plant Cell 29, 3198-3213, doi:10.1105/tpc.16.00680 (2017) 2. Julkowska, M. M. et al. Capturing Arabidopsis root architecture dynamics with ROOT-FIT reveals diversity in responses to salinity. Plant Physiol. 2014 Nov;166(3):1387-402. doi: 10.1104/pp.114.248963 3. Jing et al.Interplay of Auxin and Cytokinin in Lateral Root Development.Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jan 23;20(3). pii: E486. doi: 10.3390/ijms20030486 4. Karlova, R., Boer, D., Hayes, S. & Testerink, C. Root plasticity under abiotic stress. Plant Physiol. 187, 1057–1070 (2021). See more from our group on rootsinsalt.com If you are interested in this project please contact the supervisor via email with a copy to thesis.PPH@wur.nl with: 1. Your motivation for choosing this project 2. For which purpose (BSc or MSc thesis, research practice, etc) 3. Your BSc/MSc program 4. When you would like to start Please be aware that if you do not provide the required information above it may cause a delay in our reply. |
| Used skills | Cloning, Crispr knockout generation, qRT-PCR, RNA/DNA extractions, plant genotyping, root system architecture analysis, microscope, Data analysis via R |
| Requirements | Basic knowledge of plant physiology and molecular biology, creative and critical thinking. PPH10806, PPH30306 and PPH30806, and/or other relevant courses in Plant Sciences |