[SCAN] SOBIR1/EVR prevents precocious initiation of fiber differentiation during wood development

Title: SOBIR1/EVR prevents precocious initiation of fiber differentiation during wood development

Speaker: Ana Milhinhos

Afflitiation: Celia Miguel Lab - Forest Biotech

Abstract: 

In plants, secondary growth brings about the largest portion of terrestrial biomass, in the form of wood (or xylem). Mediated by the vascular cambium, this thickening of stems and roots isan essential feature of tree growth, conferring mechanical support to the plant body and its growing structures. However,the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying wood formation and development are still scarcely known. This is mainly because the use of classical genetics is hindered by thechallenge of trees long-life cycles and the difficulty in phenotyping traits in the innermost tissues of plants. Taking advantage of the natural variation of secondary growth we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-guidedreverse genetics in Arabidopsis thaliana to discover new regulators of secondary growth. We identified LRR-RLK EVERSHED (EVR), also named SUPPRESSOR OF BIR-1 (SOBIR1) as a regulator of xylem differentiation. We further investigated the mechanism by which SOBIR1/EVR operates in xylem fiber development and have involved the previouslydescribed master regulators BREVIPEDICELLUS (BP) and ERECTA (ER) in this process. I will present anatomical,genetic, and molecular evidence indicating that SOBIR1/EVR prevents precocious differentiation of xylem fiber, a keycell type for wood development.