Light control of plant growth and development

Seed germination, seedling de-etiolation, adult plant body shaping and flowering are key features of plant growth and development controlled by light signals perceived by specific photoreceptors phytochromes, cryptochromes and phototropins.

At IFEVA, we investigate these photomorphogenic events at three different levels:

1. The perception of the light signals and the role played by the different photoreceptors.
2. Signal transduction downstream the photoreceptors.
3. The impact of photomorphogenic responses in the field and the performance of crops where the magnitude of these responses is genetically altered.

For the first two issues we use Arabidopsis thaliana as a reference species. We combine forward and reverse genetics, analysis of the transcriptome, and the analysis of the promotor of target genes with physiological techniques.

Crop studies include important species such as potato, sunflower, wheat, tomato and maize.

Staff list for this research area

• Ballaré, Carlos
• Botto, Javier
• Buchovsky, Sabrina
• Casal, Jorge
• Crepy, María
• Coluccio, M. Paula
• Faigón, Ana
• Karayekov, Elizabeth
• Mazza, Carlos
• Rutitzky, Mariana
• Sánchez, Rodolfo
• Sánchez, Sabrina E.
• Sellaro, Romina
• Trupkin, Santiago
• Yanovsky, Marcelo