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THE ROOT SYSTEMS OF PLANTS PERFORM SUCH CRITICAL FUNCTIONS AS THE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS AND WATER FROM THE SOIL, THE STORAGE OF FOOD AND NUTRIENTS, AND THE ANCHORING OF THE PLANT TO THE SOIL. THE OPTIMAL ROOT SYSTEM FOR CROP GROWTH VARIES DEPENDING ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THERE IS THEREFORE A NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS THAT CONTROL ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE, PARTICULARLY IN CEREAL CROPS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY. IN THIS PROJECT, THE ROLE THE PLANT HORMONE CYTOKININ PLAYS IN REGULATING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROOTS AS WELL AS THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE UP NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL WILL BE CHARACTERIZED. THE STUDIES WILL BE PERFORMED IN RICE, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT CROP WORLDWIDE, AND WHICH SHARES SIMILAR ROOT SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS WITH OTHER CEREAL CROPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL FOCUS IS ON A KEY FAMILY OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS THAT MEDIATE THE CYTOKININ RESPONSE, WITH THEIR ROLE EVALUATED BY GENERATING AND CHARACTERIZING MUTANTS THAT ALTER THEIR ACTIVITY. THE ROLE THE TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS PLAY IN REGULATING ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE WILL BE QUANTIFIED AND THESE RESULTS CORRELATED WITH THEIR EFFECTS ON GENE REGULATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR ROLE IN PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION WILL BE CHARACTERIZED, PHOSPHORUS BEING ONE OF THE MOST LIMITING NUTRIENTS FOR PLANT GROWTH. INSIGHTS INTO CONTAMINATION OF FOOD BY THE POISON ARSENIC WILL ALSO BE OBTAINED BECAUSE THE SAME UPTAKE SYSTEM USED FOR PHOSPHATE ACQUISITION IN PLANTS ALSO MEDIATES THE ACQUISITION OF ARSENIC. THE RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL FORM A BASIS FOR IMPROVING PLANT PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH FOUNDATIONAL STUDIES ON ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE, WITH THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM RICE HAVING SIGNIFICANCE FOR OTHER AGRONOMICALLY IMPORTANT CROPS SUCH AS MAIZE, WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, AND SORGHUM.

$417,000FY2019National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Trustees Of Dartmouth College

Investigators

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THE ROOT SYSTEMS OF PLANTS PERFORM SUCH CRITICAL FUNCTIONS AS THE ABSORPTION OF NUTRIENTS AND WATER FROM THE SOIL, THE STORAGE OF FOOD AND NUTRIENTS, AND THE ANCHORING OF THE PLANT TO THE SOIL. THE OPTIMAL ROOT SYSTEM FOR CROP GROWTH VARIES DEPENDING ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THERE IS THEREFORE A NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS THAT CONTROL ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE, PARTICULARLY IN CEREAL CROPS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY. IN THIS PROJECT, THE ROLE THE PLANT HORMONE CYTOKININ PLAYS IN REGULATING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROOTS AS WELL AS THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE UP NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL WILL BE CHARACTERIZED. THE STUDIES WILL BE PERFORMED IN RICE, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT CROP WORLDWIDE, AND WHICH SHARES SIMILAR ROOT SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS WITH OTHER CEREAL CROPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL FOCUS IS ON A KEY FAMILY OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS THAT MEDIATE THE CYTOKININ RESPONSE, WITH THEIR ROLE EVALUATED BY GENERATING AND CHARACTERIZING MUTANTS THAT ALTER THEIR ACTIVITY. THE ROLE THE TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS PLAY IN REGULATING ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE WILL BE QUANTIFIED AND THESE RESULTS CORRELATED WITH THEIR EFFECTS ON GENE REGULATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR ROLE IN PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION WILL BE CHARACTERIZED, PHOSPHORUS BEING ONE OF THE MOST LIMITING NUTRIENTS FOR PLANT GROWTH. INSIGHTS INTO CONTAMINATION OF FOOD BY THE POISON ARSENIC WILL ALSO BE OBTAINED BECAUSE THE SAME UPTAKE SYSTEM USED FOR PHOSPHATE ACQUISITION IN PLANTS ALSO MEDIATES THE ACQUISITION OF ARSENIC. THE RESULTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL FORM A BASIS FOR IMPROVING PLANT PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH FOUNDATIONAL STUDIES ON ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE, WITH THE INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM RICE HAVING SIGNIFICANCE FOR OTHER AGRONOMICALLY IMPORTANT CROPS SUCH AS MAIZE, WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, AND SORGHUM. · GrantIndex