The role of the root cortex in plant adaptation.
| Componente | Categoria |
|---|---|
| Paola Vittorioso | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca |
| Gaia Bertolotti | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca |
| Sabrina Sabatini | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca |
Plant roots present an enormous interspecific phenotypic variation, mostly because roots largely contribute adaptation to different kind of soils. Fundamental to adaptation is the root cortex, a specialized tissue located between the epidermis and the vascular tissue, which acts to regulate air supply to the growing root tip and to store nutrients in plants growing in adverse weather and nutritive conditions (1). The number of cortical layers varies among species, but the molecular basis underlying this variability and its role in plant adaptation to diverse environmental conditions is still not well understood. Hence, to deepen knowledge on the contribution of the cortical layer number to plant fitness is essential for shading light on the mechanisms enabling adaptation to ecological niches.
Aims of this project are:
a) To unveil the molecular mechanisms controlling cortical layer number in plants.
b) To study whether to increase cortical layers enhances plant fitness under stress conditions.
To reach the proposed objectives it will be used a strategy of cutting-edge molecular biology and genomic techniques.