Environmental and epigenetic regulation of plant development
Federico Valverde, Myriam Calonje and Gloria Serrano-BuenoEnvironmental and Epigenetic Regulation of Plant Development Group (ENVEPI) is a balanced group of researchers from CSIC and the University of Seville (US), which brings together complementary approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that integrate environmental and physiological signals to control plant development, to enhanced crop yield. We address aspects related to photoperiod and light signaling (Dr. Valverde and Dr. Serrano) and the role of the Polycomb group (PcG) PRC1 and PRC2 in the epigenetic regulation of plant development and environmental response (Dr. Calonge). Both research lines generate and provide multi-omic data for the scientific community to elucidate the genetic networks involved in plant development and physiology.
Photoperiod or day-length responses have become essential for plants to time their developmental decisions to the changing seasons. The necessity to optimize light input, their major energy income, has imposed severe control over plants’ developmental programs. The aim of the research line headed by Dr. Valverde and Dr. Serrano is to unveil how environmental changes, particularly those related to light (day length and light quality), are integrated with internal signals to affect distinct growth phases and transitions throughout a plant life cycle to enhance crop yields and quality. We use the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to carry out the research and crops with interest for ornamental industry and agriculture, as the ornamental plant Petunia cultivated tomato and citrus, to apply the results. We combine molecular biology techniques with omics data generation (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq), biochemistry of proteins, plant physiology, and molecular genetics to obtain a global overview of light signaling control of plant development and molecular and physiological mechanisms implicated.
The main objective of the research line led by Dr. Calonje is to understand the epigenetic mechanisms that control plant development and responses to environmental signals. During their life cycle, plants undergo several transition phases. All these changes in development are based on the switching off and on of gene expression patterns, in which different epigenetic mechanisms play a fundamental role. The research line specifically focused on the role played by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins that, by incorporating modifications in histones, can regulate gene expression at different levels, affecting the transcription, chromatin accessibility, and three-dimensional structure. On the other hand, PcG marks must be removed at specific times to allow transcriptional reprogramming. So-called mark erasers carry this out. However, it is unclear how these activities are coordinated to regulate gene expression, representing another field of study of the group. By using genetic and biochemical techniques in combination with different next-generation sequencing techniques, such as RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, MNase-seq, and Hi-C, the goal of this research line is to unveil the exact role played by PcG proteins in the regulation of gene expression, as well as to determine the factors involved in reprogramming of these marks.
Our publications in top journals (Science, Nature, Current Biology, EMBO J, Nature Communications, Mol Plant) and invited reviews (J Exp. Bot., Plant Phys, Current Opin. Plant Biol.) reflect the scientific quality and the international interest in our research. We are also experienced in patent transfer and industry-related work, as we try to translate our basic research into applied industrial results. Our success in national and international project proposal programs and our expertise as evaluators and committee members make our research and technical program a very attractive plan for novel students and postdocs. This is reflected by the number of PhD works and Grades and Master’s students that graduate in our laboratory. The connection with the University of Sevilla through Prof JM Romero, Prof Gloria Serrano (Faculty of Biology), and Prof JR Pérez (Faculty of Chemistry) offers exceptional opportunities for the student training program. All PIs are also involved in Master Courses from the University of Seville, resulting in close interactions with national and international researchers and students from academia and private sectors. The participation of the ENVEPI group in national networks such as EvoDevoSigNet also helps the group connect with other plant research groups and former scientific networks. Besides, since 2018, the ENVEPI group has organized an interactive workshop that brings together researchers on plant molecular biology and development with the companies collaborating with the group.
Name | Surname | Category | Phones | |
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Fernando | Baile Núñez | Predoctoral Researcher | ext. 446086 | |
Myriam | Calonge Macaya | CSIC Tenured Scientist | ext. 446048 | |
Carolina | Camacho Fernández | Postdoctoral Research | ext. 446086 | |
José Luis | García López | Predoctoral Researcher | ext. 446086 | |
Isabel María | Jiménez Benítez | Laboratory Technician | ext. 446086 | |
José Román | Pérez Castiñeira | US Full Professor | ext. 446040 | |
Javier | Pérez Hormaeche | Postdoctoral Researcher | ext. 446086 | |
Manuela | Rodríguez Delgado | Predoctoral Researcher | ext. 446086 | |
José María | Romero Rodríguez | US Professor | ext. 446026 | |
Teresa | Ruiz Pérez | Specialized Higher Technician | ext.446042 | |
Gloria | Serrano Bueno | US PhD Research Staff | ext. 446086 | |
Aurelio | Serrano Delgado | CSIC Scientifical Researcher | ext. 446024 | |
Federico | Valverde Albacete | CSIC Scientifical Researcher | ext. 446025 |
- Romero JM, Serrano-Bueno G, Camacho-Fernández C, et al. CONSTANS, a HUB for all seasons: How photoperiod pervades plant physiology regulatory circuits. Plant Cell. Published online March 21, 2024. doi:10.1093/plcell/koae090
- Yin X, Romero-Campero FJ, Yang M, et al. Binding by the Polycomb complex component BMI1 and H2A monoubiquitination shape local and long-range interactions in the Arabidopsis genome. Plant Cell. 2023;35(7):2484-2503. doi:10.1093/plcell/koad112
- de Los Reyes P, Romero-Campero FJ, Gao He, et al. CONSTANS alters the circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana. bioRxiv 2023.01.19.524697; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.19.524697
- Serrano-Bueno G, de Los Reyes P, Chini A, et al. Regulation of floral senescence in Arabidopsis by coordinated action of CONSTANS and jasmonate signaling. Mol Plant. 2022;15(11):1710-1724. doi:10.1016/j.molp.2022.09.017
- Baile F, Gómez-Zambrano Á, Calonje M. Roles of Polycomb complexes in regulating gene expression and chromatin structure in plants. Plant Commun. 2021;3(1):100267. Published 2021 Nov 26. doi:10.1016/j.xplc.2021.100267
- Baile F, Merini W, Hidalgo I, Calonje M. EAR domain-containing transcription factors trigger PRC2-mediated chromatin marking in Arabidopsis [published correction appears in Plant Cell. 2021 Oct 24;:]. Plant Cell. 2021;33(8):2701-2715. doi:10.1093/plcell/koab139
- Yin X, Romero-Campero FJ, de Los Reyes P, et al. H2AK121ub in Arabidopsis associates with a less accessible chromatin state at transcriptional regulation hotspots. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):315. Published 2021 Jan 12. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20614-1
- Serrano-Bueno G, Said FE, de Los Reyes P, et al. CONSTANS-FKBP12 interaction contributes to modulation of photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis. Plant J. 2020;101(6):1287-1302. doi:10.1111/tpj.14590
- Gómez-Zambrano Á, Merini W, Calonje M. The repressive role of Arabidopsis H2A.Z in transcriptional regulation depends on AtBMI1 activity. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):2828. Published 2019 Jun 27. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10773-1
- Serrano-Bueno G, Romero-Campero FJ, Lucas-Reina E, Romero JM, Valverde F. Evolution of photoperiod sensing in plants and algae. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2017;37:10-17. doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2017.03.007