Project description

Organ formation from one or a few cells is a complex process in all living organisms. In order to generate cells with the correct identity, a strict cell-cell communication has to take place. Several molecules have been described to participate in this exchange. Among them, small signaling peptides are increasingly reported to have a crucial role in the control of biological processes. Plants are an excellent model to study organogenesis, since organs such as lateral roots and branches form continuously. We have identified a family of peptides in Arabidopsis thaliana, called GOLVEN, that signals during the process of lateral root formation. However the peptides receptor as well as other genes involved in the transmission of the signal are still unknown. The aim of this project is to identify and characterize new factors involved in this signaling pathway.

The overproduction of one of the GOLVEN peptides results in plants with no visible lateral roots indicating that lateral root formation is affected. An EMS mutagenesis has been conducted in plants overexpressing the peptide gene. The reasoning behind is that if a gene involved in the peptide signaling pathway is mutated, the signal cannot be transmitted and the lateral root phenotype is not observed and thus, reverted to wildtype. A screening for such mutants was conducted in our lab and we identified several suppressors of the GOLVEN phenotype. The proposed project will consist in the identification and characterization of the mutated genes. For this, we will recognize the causal mutation by Next Generation Sequencing of the whole genome and once the mutated gene is identified, gain- and loss-of-function mutants will be generated and their phenotype in lateral root formation will be analyzed. In addition, we will produce reporter lines by fusing the gene promoter and the protein to reporter genes (i.e. GFP) in order to analyze gene expression and subcellular localization of the protein.

The host institution (VIB-Gent University, placed 70 in the academic ranking of world universities released by Shanghai Jiao Tong University this year), situated in the beautiful city of Gent, is a research center of excellence, classified among the best plant science departments in the world. VIB-Gent University is a multicultural institution hosting researchers from all over the world. Especially, Chinese doctorate students can also apply for cofounding with a CSC grant and are exempted from paying the tuition fee. The Root Development lab, managed by Prof. Tom Beeckman, is one of the leading research groups in root development, holding many publications in high impact factor journals. The candidate will work under the supervision of a postdoctoral researcher who participated in the initial characterization of the GOLVEN peptide family and has been studying it since then. For additional information on this subject please refer to Fernandez et al., (2013, Journal of Experimental Botany), and references therein.

Requirements

To fulfil this project we are looking for a PhD student that will be enthusiastic to apply for a 4-years mandate CSC scholarship. The most important requirement for the potential candidate is motivation and commitment to perform excellent science. Organization and good attention to details are appreciated qualities. A good level of English is also required. Previous experience in plant research and publications are not mandatory but both are considered an advantage. For interested candidates please contact Dr. Ana Fernandez (anfer@psb.ugent.be) and Tao Fang (tafan@psb.ugent.be)