TRIchome-Mediated Crop Resilience at COTyledon Stage: Exploring the biosynthesis, regulation, and function of Glandular Trichomes in the Production of defensive specialized metabolitescore
TRICOT · Horizon Europe grant · 2025-03-01–2027-02-28
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01 · scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF · topic HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-01. CORDIS record →
Objective
Plants evolved diverse strategies, including the production of specialized metabolites to adapt to changing environments. These specialized metabolites are often linked to glandular trichomes (GTs) density. To study GT’s biology, cultivated tomato and their wild relatives are considered ideal models, varying in GT types (I, IV, VI, VII) and associated metabolites. While type IV GTs, rich in acyl sugars (AS), persist throughout the life cycle of wild tomatoes, in cultivated varieties, they explicitly appear in early stages (especially on hypocotyl and cotyledons). AS provides resistance to various pathogens, including whiteflies, a significant threat to global tomato production. Although the role of type IV GTs and AS in adult plant resilience is understood, their regulation at the juvenile stage remains unknown. This study aims to address these knowledge gaps, employing an integrative OMICS approach in the early developmental stages of cultivated tomato and their wild relatives. While factor like plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) is known to influence the development of type VI GTs and terpenoid metabolism, the JA-mediated regulation of type IV GTs and AS metabolism remains unidentified. The present proposal aims to tackle these crucial knowledge gaps by utilizing combinatorial forward and reverse genetics approaches. Furthermore, this project aims to explore the ecological functions of type IV GTs and AS in shaping the plant microbiome at the cotyledon stage, a yet unknown aspect of plant fate. Through an interdisciplinary approach, including genetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analysis, the research aims to offer comprehensive insights into plant defense mechanisms and adaptation strategies in early developmental stages. The outcomes of this research will revolutionize our understanding of plant resilience at juvenile stages, thereby contributing to the progress of sustainable agriculture and offering new opportunities for crop improvement.
Beneficiaries (1)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR PFLANZENBIOCHEMIE | DE | coordinator | €189,687 |
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