Prof Lieven DE VEYLDER, VIB-Université de Gand, Belgique, invité par S. Noir
Title: Restoring a damage root stem cell niche.
Abstract: Injury-induced regeneration represents a self-preserving mechanism over many lifeforms. Among the metazoans regeneration is frequently restricted to tissue repair. Contrary, plants display an unrivalled regeneration capacity that not only restores damaged tissues and organs, but can also give rise to whole plant bodies, allowing them to survive severe stress conditions. This unmatched regeneration competence is intrinsically linked to the ability to maintain functional stem cells. Previously, we identified within the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana the ERF115 transcription factor as a unique regulator that is instantly induced by wounded cells and that plays an essential role in the replenishment of damaged stem cells. Upon its induction, ERF115 activates cell divisions that replenish the collapsed stem cells, in such manner aiding full stem cell niche recovery upon root tip excision. To understand the molecular mechanism by which ERF115 allows tissue recovery, we identified downstream target genes. Additionally, to understand map the evolutionary importance of the wound induced regeneration pathway, we identified and characterized ERF115 orthologous proteins in other plant species, in order to increase their regeneration potential.
