In many plant species, exit from the division cycle is accompanied by the onset of endoreplication representing a modified version of the normal mitotic cell cycle during which DNA is replicated without mitosis. Endoreplication typically occurs in large, metabolically active, and highly specialized cells, although it can be found as well in cells that do not match this description.
Genome integrity of cells is threatened by DNA damage caused by environmental and endogenous stresses. To cope with these stress conditions, cells have developed a set of surveillance mechanisms that monitor the status and structure of DNA during cell cycle progression. In fission yeast and mammals, DNA damage activates the signalling kinases ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and Rad3-related (ATR) that simultaneously turn on DNA repair complexes and arrest cell division, allowing cells to repair damaged DNA before proceeding into mitosis.
Injury-induced regeneration represents a self-preserving mechanism in most multicellular lifeforms. Depending on the species, the extent of regeneration is highly variable. Among metazoans regeneration is frequently restricted to tissue repair. Contrary, plants display an unrivaled regeneration capacity that not only restores damaged tissues, but can also give rise to whole plant bodies, allowing them to survive severe stress conditions, such as injury, herbivory attack, and dramatic weather conditions.
ERC Advanced Grants are awarded to established researchers in all fields to pursue original, high-risk research projects. Each grant comes with considerable funding to support innovative research projects. After already three VIB researchers received a grant earlier this year, two more join them: Stein Aerts from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and Lieven De Veylder from the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology.
In early January, VIB submitted applications to conduct 3 field trials with genome-edited maize. Observations in the greenhouse showed that the modified plants are more resistant to climate stress or easier to digest. In collaboration with the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), VIB would like to confirm their findings in real cultivation conditions.
