Research

The main focus of the Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Plantas is to understand the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of plant development. The main research lines are the control of cell division in plants the association of plants with diazotrophs and epigenetic regulation of plants during stress. In these studies advanced molecular biology tools and Illumina sequencing techniques have been applied, allowing the generation of promising data.

Control of cell division in plants - The plant development consists primarily of cell division events followed by cell elongation and differentiation. The elucidation of the basic machinery that regulates the cell cycle in plants as well as characterization of environmental stimuli that control cell division, it is essential to understand and manipulate plant growth processes. Since 1990 we have studied the mechanisms controlling plant development through the characterization of the genes participating in the cell cycle. Currently the lab studies the regulatory networks that integrate the basic machinery of cell cycle control with the signaling environment in Arabidopsis thaliana and sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)

Association of plants with endophytic bacteria - Plants are able to establish beneficial interactions with microorganisms, and achieve significant adaptive advantages in terms of growth and stress tolerance. The inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria causes an increase in biomass and grain yield and can replace between 10-30% of the nitrogen fertilizer applied to the culture. However, the environment in which the association is established may influence the efficiency of the benefit obtained by the plant arising from association with endophytic bacteria. Contribution of BNF data in different genotypes of grasses and variable susceptibility of cultivars to endophytic clearly show that plant genes control processes that regulate the efficiency of the association. Our group has been working since 1994 in the isolation and characterization of genes involved in plant association with beneficial endophytic. More recently the group has verified the influence of endophytes in the root development control in valuable species and the environmental effect on the efficiency of the BNF contribution in inoculated plants. The group also seeks to characterize the role of epigenetic processes in transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of genes involved in plant/bacteria interaction.

Epigenetic regulation by biotic and abiotic stresses - Among the adverse environmental conditions that limit cultivation and crop yields, the abiotic as well as biotic stresses are considered one of the main factors restricting the Brazilian agriculture, contributing to considerable reductions in agricultural productivity. Changes in chromatin structure, methylation of cytosine residues, dynamic of transposition elements and regulation by small RNAs are some of the plant genome responses to environmental change. The small RNAs play an important role in the plant response to stress conditions. Among the small RNAs, miRNAs are essential for the adaptation of plants, regulating the expression of mRNA from genes related to stress response. One of the more recent research line of our group is to characterize the role of epigenetic processes in the response of plants to drought, salinity, cold and pathogens.

Projects