Characterization of the ACO gene family and screening for novel regulators of the ethylene biosynthesis pathway

The gaseous hormone ethylene is an important plant growth regulator that controls many physiological processes and is involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. The diverse action of ethylene makes it an economically significant growth regulator in both agriculture and horticulture, with many applications in the field. Ethylene is also called the aging hormone and causes rapid decay of fresh produce, due to the high ethylene production levels after harvest.In order to open up new opportunities to develop tools that control ethylene levels, we propose a molecular biology investigation that aims to discover novel regulatory proteins that control ethylene biosynthesis. We will focus on the last enzyme of the ethylene biosynthesis pathway (ACO), which has only received little attention by the scientific community.First, we will carefully characterize the ACO protein family to find which homologs are most important. Secondly, we will set up a genome wide association study and a classical genetic screen, to discover novel regulators of ACO and ethylene biosynthesis. Thirdly, we will characterize the biochemical and genetic functionality of these novel regulators and explore their future potential in regulating plant ethylene levels.A better understanding on how plants turn on and off ethylene, can lead to novel biotechnological applications to control unwanted ethylene during the postharvest phase of fruits and vegetables, and thus help to reduce the waste of food.

Jaar van publicatie:2021

Toegankelijkheid:Closed