Maria Carlota Vaz Patto Lab

	At the PlantX Lab we unveil the genetic and genomic basis of plant Complex traits, such as nutritional or organoleptic quality or biotic/abiotic stress resistance, using different statistical genetic and genomic approaches.
	Maria Carlota Vaz Patto PhD 2001, Wagenigen University, The Netherlands Phone (+351) 214469631 | Extension 1631 cpatto@itqb.unl.pt

Research Interests

The Genetics and Genomics of Plant Complex Traits (PlantX) Laboratory develops research on molecular quantitative genetics applied to plant breeding. We want to identify genes controlling complex interesting traits, such as end-user quality (nutritional/health beneficial, organoleptic, processing), resistance to biotic (fungal diseases) and abiotic (drought) stresses on cereals and legumes (maize, common bean and grass pea) of national interest. This will allow us to develop control models, scientific methods and molecular tools to assist quality and resistance precision breeding programs.

We make use of different statistical genomics approaches, such as Linkage analysis, Genome-Wide Association and Genetical-Genomics, based on extensive DNA marker fingerprinting, transcriptional profiling and quantitative traits phenotyping.
Overall we are interested in exploiting the potential of national underused plant germplasm as source of interesting breeding traits and contribute indirectly to enhance its cultivation, increasing national food security and sustainability of agricultural systems.

Group Members

• Carmen Santos, Post-Doc

• Mara Alves, Post-Doc

• Susana Leitão, Post-Doc

• Ana Margarida Sampaio, Post-Doc

• Elsa Mecha, PhD Student (Rosário Bronze as Main Supervisor)

• Hélia Sales, PhD Student

• Andreia Bento da Silva, PhD Student (Rosário Bronze as Main Supervisor)

• Letice Gonçalves, PhD Student

• Davide Martins, PhD Student

• Matilde Sanches, PhD Student

• Rita Maravilha Marques, PhD Student

• Pedro Crespo, MSc Student

• Francisco Mendes, MSc Student

Selected Publications

1. Leitão ST, Santos C, Araújo SS, Rubiales D, Vaz Patto MC (2021) Shared and tailored transcriptomic responses to combined fusarium wilt and water deficit in common bean. Horticulture Research 8:149. DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00583-2.

2. Sales H, Šatović Z, Alves ML, Fevereiro P, Nunes J, Vaz Patto MC (2021) Accessing ancestral origin and diversity evolution by net divergence of an ongoing domestication Mediterranean olive tree variety. Frontiers in Plant Sciences 12:688214. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.688214.

3. Bento-Silva A, Duarte N, Mecha E, Belo M, Serra T, Vaz Patto MC, Bronze MR (2021) Broa, an ethnic maize bread, as a source of phenolic compounds. Antioxidants 10(5):672. DOI: 10.3390/antiox10050672.

4. Santos C, Polanco C, Rubiales D, Vaz Patto MC (2021) MLO1 powdery mildew susceptibility gene in Lathyrus spp.: The power of high density linkage maps in comparative mapping and synteny analysis. The Plant Genome 2021:1-15. DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20090.  

5. Sampaio AM, Rubiales D, Vaz Patto MC (2021) Grass pea and pea phylogenetic relatedness reflected at Fusarium oxysporum host range. Crop Protection 141: 105495. DOI: 10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105495.

6. Alves ML, Bento-Silva A, Gaspar D, Paulo M, Brites C, Mendes-Moreira P, Bronze MR, Malosetti M, van Eeuwijk F, Vaz Patto MC (2020) Volatilome‒genome-wide association study on wholemeal maize flour. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 68 (29):7809–7818. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01273.      

Laboratory's Website

For further information visit the laboratory's website

Genética e Genómica das Características Complexas de Plantas (PT)

No grupo de Genética e Genómica das Características Complexas de Plantas (PlantX) desenvolvemos investigação na àrea da genética quantitativa molecular aplicada ao melhoramento de plantas. O nosso principal interesse é a identificação dos genes que controlam características complexas relevantes como a qualidade para o consumidor (nutricional, organolética, de processamento) e a resistência a estresses bióticos (doenças causadas por fungos) e abióticos (tolerância à seca) em cereais e leguminosas de interesse nacional (milho, feijão e chícharo). Com base nesta informação, desenvolvemos modelos de controlo, métodos científicos e ferramentas moleculares para apoiar programas de melhoramento de plantas de precisão.

Utilizamos diferentes abordagens de genómica estatística como ligamento genético, Genome-Wide Association e Genetical-Genomics, baseados numa extensiva genotipagem por marcadores moleculares, análise de perfis transcriptómicos e fenotipagem de características quantitativas.

No cômputo geral, estamos interessados em explorar o potencial do germoplasma nacional como fonte de características interessantes para o melhoramento de plantas e contribuir indiretamente para aumentar o seu cultivo, a segurança alimentar e a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrícolas nacionais.

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