The Arabidopsis Italian “Mafia”

√Who we are?√What we are doing?√Who is going to pay?

And…..FIRB Arabidopsisan Italian Functional Genomics Program

On Arabidopsis

MORELLI G. GROUP. INRAN, ROME

RUBERTI I. GROUP. CNR, ROME

Funding: EU FP5 Programme REGIA projectEU FP5 Programme TF-stress projectMinistry of Research grants

Funding: Ministry of Research grants

√ HD-ZIP III family Responsible scientist: Dr. S. BAIMA

√ GLABRA2 (HD-ZIP IV) Responsible scientist: Dr. R. RODRIGUES POUSADA

√ Functional Genomic analysis of Arabidopsis TFs: REGIA

Responsible scientists: Dr. M. CARABELLI, Dr. G. SESSA

Functional analysis of HD-ZIP proteins

Functional analysis of HD-ZIP proteins

TONELLI GROUP. Dept. Gen. And Microbiol. Univ. MILAN

√ Large-scale Exon-trapping System Responsible Scientist: Dr. M.GALBIATI (EXOTIC)

√ Functional analysis of MYB & NF-Y TFs in A.t. Resp. scientist: Dr. K. PETRONI

Funding: EU FP5 Programme REGIA projectEU FP5 Programme EXOTIC projectMinistry of Research grants

COSTANTINO GROUP. Dept. Gen. And Mol.Biol. Univ. ROME

√ Functional analysis of DOF proteins in A.t. Resp. scientist: Dr. P.VITTORIOSO

√ Functional Genomic analysis of Arabidopsis TFs: REGIA Responsible scientist: Dr. P. VITTORIOSO

√ rolD and flower transition Responsible scientist: Dr. M. TROVATO

Funding: EU FP5 Programme REGIA projectMinistry of Research grantsInstitut Pasteur -Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti grant

ALPI GROUP. Univ. PISAPERATA P. (Uni MO e RE), LORETI E. (CNR)

√ Sugar sensing: mechanisms and cross-talk with hormonal signaling

COLOMBO GROUP. Univ. MILAN

Funding: EU FP5 Programme REGIA projectMinistry of Research grants

√ Functional analysis of MADS proteins in A.t.

√ Functional Genomic analysis of Arabidopsis TFs: REGIA

MARMIROLI GROUP. Dept. of Environ. Sciences Univ. PARMAMARMIROLI N., VISIOLI G., GULLI M., MAESTRI E.

√ Isolation of mutants resistant to heavy metals from T-DNA collections

SOAVE GROUP. Dept. of Biology, Univ. MILAN SOAVE C., MORANDINI P, MURGIA I., TARANTINO D.

√ Study of proteins that interact with H-ATPases proton pumps.

√ Isolation of A.t. mutants altered in the sensitivity to photoinhibition, in the

active oxygen scavenging processes, in the sensitivity to UV-B radiation, in the

chirality of the primary roots

MIGLIACCIO GROUP. Inst. Plant Biochem.& Ecophysiol.,CNR.Monterotondo RMMIGLIACCIO F., PICONESE S., FAGGIANO M., ROSI C.

Funding: European Space Agency (ESA)Italian Space Agency (ASI)).

√ Isolation of A.t. mutants affected in the gravitropic response,

√ Isolation of A.t. mutants affected in auxin physiology

√ Isolation of A.t. mutants affected in the basal process of circumnutation,

√Functional Analysis of the AtRHA1 gene

FIRB Arabidopsis

From Arabidopsis to Tomato: a scientific network

and a technological platform for the functional

genomics of plant development

The proposal intends to exploit a functional genomics approach

to analyse selected regulatory aspects of Arabidopsis and

Tomato development through the analysis of the function and

interactions of members of different families of regulatory and

structural genes.

The proposal will focus on:

- vegetative aerial development

- reproductive development

Transfer to Tomato of results and resources already available to some of the UR allows to consider two applied objectives on……….

- plant architecture

- nutritional quality

PARTICIPANTSPAOLO COSTANTINO (COORDINATOR)Università "La Sapienza", ROMA

CHRIS BOWLER Stazione zoologica "A. Dohrn", NAPOLI

FRANCESCO CELLINI Metapontum Agrobios, MATERA

PATRIZIA ADUCCI Università "Tor Vergata", ROMA

FELICE CERVONE Università "La Sapienza", ROMA

- EUGENIO BENVENUTO- GIOVANNI GIULIANO - MARIO TAVAZZA ENEA, ROMA

IDA RUBERTICNR, ROMA

GIORGIO MORELLI INRAN, ROMA

MAURO CRESTIUniversità di SIENA

- CHIARA TONELLI - LUCIA COLOMBOUniversità di MILANO

The genes analysed in the proposed research will be:

- Dof family (UR Costantino) involved in auxin-dependent meristem formation, in the control of seed germination and in the response to gibberellins and stress- rol family (UR Costantino) that influence meristem formation, floral transition and sexual organ formation

- HD-Zip family (UR Ruberti) (UR Morelli) involved in the regulation of primary and secondary meristem activity and in developmental processes as a response to the environment, such as shade-avoidance response

- MYB family (UR Tonelli) involved in morphogenesis, stress response and in the biosynthesis of nutritionally relevant polymers- NF-Y family (UR Tonelli) which interact with several families of transcription factors crucial in differentiation and development in eukaryotes

- MADS (UR Colombo) involved in vegeative and reproductive development-HMG and TAF (UR Colombo) important factors in modulating transcription

- PHY (UR Bowler) involved in the response to R and FR light- Signalosome assembly (UR Bowler) DET genes- CRY (UR Bowler, UR Benvenuto) involved in the response to blue light

- Carotenoid biosynthesis (UR Benvenuto, UR Cellini) important for photosynthetic activities and nutritional quality

- PG, PGIP (UR Cervone) involved in the response to pathogens and development

- 14.3.3 protein class (UR Aducci) involved in cell cycle control and in several signal-transduction pathways

Expected scientific results √ Identification of genes involved in growth and development of the aerial part of the plant in Arabidopsis and Tomato

√ Identification of genes involved in reproductive development in Arabidopsis and Tomato

√ Identification of genes specifically expressed in the vegetative and floral apical region in Arabidopsis

√ Identification of regulatory complexes through analysis of protein-protein interactions by means of :

√ Fluorescence Resonance Electronic Transfer (FRET); Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR); 2-hybrid; FRET 2-hybrid in plant

√ Identification of the function and interactions of members of different regulatory and structural gene families in vegetative and reproductive development

√ RNA interference (RNAi)

√ Gain of function and negative dominant mutations

√ Chemical-gene machine (TILLING)

√ DNA microarray and macroarray for RNA profiling in Arabidopsis and Tomato;

√ Real-time PCR.

Expected technological results

Development and utilisation of the following technologies:

Expected biotechnological results

√ Modification of tomato plant architecture

√ Modification of the nutritional quality and biofarming in tomato

Expected infrastructural results

√ Establishment of the first italian research network on plant functional genomics

√ Training of scientific and technical personnel in functional genomics