Seed Biotechnology

Description

Some animals, plants, and most seeds survive extreme dehydration conditions (desiccation) in a quiescent state of almost imperceptible metabolic activity: Our group studies the regulation of a gene expression program that was initially associated with both seed desiccation-tolerance and seed-longevity. Subsequently, we have also shown the involvement of that program in the biogenesis and protection of the photosynthetic apparatus after seed germination. The identification of program-specific regulators as HSFA9 allowed us evaluation of possible practical applications of our research. Thus, using transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, L) as a model crop we could reduce or increase seed longevity. In addition, we have shown that by effects of HSFA9 on different photoreceptors for UV-B (UVR8), blue- (CRY1), red- (PHYB) and far-red- (PHYA) light, we could enhance and protect chloroplast formation after seed-gemination and during early seedling establishment. That revealed a novel regulatory link between seed embryogenesis and seedling photomorphogenesis, which is mediated by embryonic HSFs as HSFA9. In addition, more recent results in our lab show that HSFA9 can anticipatedly and persistently open the chromatin of genes that, as HY5, are crucial for photoprotection and for the photosynthetic transition. That would speed and synchronize the seed to seedling transition, thus facilitating early seedling establishment. In all, our research might help breeding crops that are better adapted to the detrimental effects of global climate change.

Researchers in our current project

Concepción Almoguera Antolínez (permanent position)

Pilar Prieto-Dapena (permanent position)

Juan Jordano Fraga (permanent position and Group leader)

Raúl Carranco Galán (contrated under the last project)

Recent projects

PID2020-112693RB-I00 “Epigenetic tools for targeted improvement of seeding stablishment” PN2020 MICINN (01/09/2021–31/08/2024). 127.050,00 €

BIO2017-82172-R “Towards combined enhancement of photomorphogenesis and adaptation to environmental stress: effects of the embryonic factor HSFA9 on a broad spectrum of plant photoreceptors”.  MICINN 01/2018-12/2020. 110.000 €.

BIO2014-52303-R “Photomorphogenic effect of HSFA9: characterization and analysis of its contribution to stress tolerance and longevity in plants“.   MICINN 01/2015-12/2017. 133.100 €..

BIO 2011-23440 “New ways to improve vegetative abiotic stress tolerance, using regulators of seed longevity and desiccation tolerance“. Plan Nacional de I+D+I, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. 205.700 €.

Recent and most relevant publications

Carranco, R., Prieto-Dapena, P., Almoguera, C., and Jordano, J. “A seed-specific transcription factor, HSFA9, anticipates UV-Blight responses by mimicking the activation of the UV-Breceptor in tobacco” Plant Journal 111: 1439-1452 , doi: 10.1111/tpj.15901 (2022). 

Almoguera, C., Prieto-Dapena, P., Carranco, R., and Jordano, J. “Heat stress factors expressed during seed maturation differentially regulate seed longevity and seedling greening”. Plants 9, doi: 10.3390/plants9030335 (2020).

Carranco, R., Prieto-Dapena, P., Almoguera, C. and Jordano, J.”SUMO-dependent synergism involving Heat Shock transcription factors with functions linked to seed longevity and desiccation tolerance”.Frontiers in Plant Science 8:974. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00974 (2017).

Prieto-Dapena, P., Almoguera, C., Personat, J.M., Merchan, F. and Jordano, J. “ Seed-specific transcription factor HSFA9 links late embryogenesis and early photomorphogenesis”. Journal of Experiemental Botany 68: 1097-1108  (2017).

Almoguera, C., Personat, J.M., Prieto-Dapena, P. and  Jordano, J. “Heat shock transcription factors involved in seed desiccation tolerance and longevity retard vegetative senescence in transgenic tobacco. Planta 242: 461-475 (2015).

Personat, J.M., Tejedor-Cano, J., Prieto-Dapena, P., Almoguera, C. and Jordano, J.”Co-overexpression of two Heat Shock Factors results in enhanced seed longevity and in synergistic effects on seedling tolerance to severe dehydration and oxidative stress”.BMC Plant Biology 14:56 (2014).

Tejedor-Cano, J., Carranco, R., Personat, J.M., Prieto-Dapena, P., Almoguera, C., Espinosa, J.M. and Jordano, J.“A passive repression mechanism that hinders synergic transcriptional activation by heat shock factors Involved in sunflower seed longevity”. Molecular Plant 7: 256-259 (2014).

Carranco, C., Espinosa, J. Prieto-Dapena, P. Almoguera, C. Jordano J. “Repression by an auxin/indole acetic acid protein connects auxin signaling with heat shock factor-mediated seed longevity”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA. 107: 21908-21913 (2010). Artículo seleccionado y evaluado en “Faculty of 1000 Biology”: http://f1000.com/7467956.

Tejedor-Cano, J., Prieto-Dapena. P., Almoguera, C., Carranco, C., Hiratsu, K., Ohme-Takagi, M., Jordano, J. ¨Loss of function of the HSFA9 seed longevity program”. Plant Cell & Environment 33: 1408-1417 (2010).

Almoguera, C. Rojas, A., Díaz-Martín, J., Prieto-Dapena, P., Carranco, R.,  and Jordano J. “A seed-specific heat shock transcription factor involved in developmental regulation during embryogenesis in sunflower”. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 43866-43872 (2002).

Most relevant patents

Jordano, J., Almoguera, C., Prieto-Dapena, P., Tejedor-Cano, J., Personat, J.M. and Carranco, R. “Stress Tolerant Plants”. European Patent Application EP13382006 (del 11 de Enero del 2013). Solicitud de patente efectuada bajo un acuerdo de Licencia del CSIC (# 12.0818 del 29 de Noviembre del 2012) con la empresa Plant Biosiences Limited (PBL).

Prieto-Dapena, P.C. Almoguera, C., and Jordano, J. “Promoter and regulatory sequences of Hads10G1: a sunflower LEA gene expressed only in seeds starting at the maturation phase” (PCT/ES99/00017). Patente licenciada a la empresa KWS Einbeck , y al grupo BioGema-Rustica.