Home Research Projects Cytonuclear interactions in plant auto- and allo-polyploids

Cytonuclear interactions in plant auto- and allo-polyploids

Duration
04/2022 - 12/2024
Agency
Czech Science Foundation
Project number
22-03731S
Principle investigator
David Kopecky
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Key metabolic processes catalyzed by multi-subunit enzyme complexes which comprise nuclear- and organelle-encoded proteins are dependent on maintaining the stoichiometric ratios among the subunits. As polyploidization increases the number of nuclear genes without directly altering the dosage of the cytosolic genomes, cytonuclear interactions forming these chimeric protein complexes may be disrupted. In our project, we will analyze the mechanisms leading to the restoration of the stoichiometry in newly established polyploids of two angiosperm lineages (Festuca-Lolium complex and Silene sp.). Besides the maintenance of the well-tuned cytonuclear interactions, another challenge for allopolyploids originating from hybridization of two distinct species is the coordination of biparentally inherited nuclear genome and genomes of plastids and mitochondria often inherited uniparentally (maternally). We will conduct a study on gene expression and maintenance of both parental alleles of the nuclear-encoded genes involved in cytonuclear interactions.

Project team

Postdoc
Jana Szecówka (Kneřová) Ph.D.
Leader
Assoc. prof. David Kopecký