The plant cell wall: a regulatory hub in immunity and development
| Componente | Categoria |
|---|---|
| Laura Guerrisi | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Vincenzo Lionetti | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Simone Ferrari | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Francesca Angelini | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Giovanna Gramegna | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Daniela Bellincampi | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Irene Donatella Romano | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Riccardo Lorrai | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Lucia Marti | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Daniele Coculo | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Laura Vittozzi | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Componente | Qualifica | Struttura | Categoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniela Pontiggia | Senior Technician, Lab manager | Dept. Biologia e Biotecnologie C. Darwin - Sapienza | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Thierry Giardina | Full Professor | Institut des sciences moléculaires de Marseille, Université d'Aix-Marseille | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Sarah Giulietti | Dottoranda | Università la Tuscia, Viterbo (PhD student in part supported by 50% by Giulia De Lorenzo Research Grant | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Maria Manuela Rigano | Associate Professor | Dept. of Agricultural Science , University of Naples ¿Federico II¿, Portici (Italy) | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Maria Benedetta Mattei | Full Professor | Dipartimento Medicina clinica, sanità pubblica, scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università dell'Aquila | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Raffaella Balestrini | Senior Researcher | Istituto per la protezione sostenibile delle piante - CNR Turin | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
Several plant Cell Wall (CW)-derived fragments like oligogalacturonides (OGs), cellodextrins (CDs) and mixed-linkage glucans (MLGs) activate plant immunity and behave as typical damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Due to the antithetic effect of CW-DAMPs on immunity and growth, their homeostasis is critical for the so-called ¿growth-defense trade-off.¿
This project aims at elucidating the role of the CW and CW-DAMPs in plant immunity and development, using Arabidopsis thaliana (AIMS 1-3) and the crop plant Lycopersicum esculentum (tomato) (AIM 4).
AIM 1 is to shed light on the still uncharacterized aspects of the biology of OGs. Only short-term (min/h) defense responses activated by OGs, whereas a long-term (days) transcriptional reprogramming is likely necessary for a durable resistance. Long-term adaptive responses to CW-DAMPs will be studied.
AIM 2 is to characterize a mechanism that controls the homeostasis of CW-DAMPs, played by berberine bridge enzyme-like (BBE-l) proteins. The characterization of this phenomenon may have significant biotechnological applications to overcome the limitations imposed by a deleterious hyper-immunity.
AIM 3 is to characterize proteins that regulate the activity of Pectin Methyl Esterases (PME). PMEs regulate the methyl esterification status of homogalacturonan, which influences how and what types of DAMPs are released. The synthesis, biochemical properties and role of PME regulators will be studied.
AIM 4 is to elucidate the role of tomato PMEs in the apoplastic biosynthesis of Ascorbic Acid (AsA), through a pectin-derived D-galacturonic biosynthetic pathway. The use of tomato will facilitate the translation of the knowledge obtained in this project to an economically relevant crop.
Knowledge gained can be exploited for the effective and safe use of CW-DAMPs in agriculture.