The Other Side: Long-distance Feedback and Cross-talk in the Arabidopsis Branching Gene Network (2008-2010)
Abstract
Our research over the last decade has led to a complete re-evaluation of the mechanism of shoot branching in plants. Studies on a novel hormone have been central to research in this area. However, we have shown that this hormone acts in interplay with a second uncharacterised novel hormone we term the feedback signal. This feedback signal functions to balance branching in plants of diverse species. This balance is of critical importance for yield and other properties affected by shoot number and timing of shoot production. We will use Arabidopsis to evaluate cross-talk between putative metabolic pathways involved in feedback and identify a new suite of genes that are critical to shoot homoeostasis or the balance of shoot number in plants.
