Project Detail

Stress induced memory in clonal plants

Name: Stress induced memory in clonal plants
Researchers: Latzel Vít (researcher)
Mráz Patrik (member in research team)
Chrtek Jindřich (member in research team)
Fehrer Judith (member in research team)
Provider: Grantová agentura ČR
Number: 14-06802S
Realization from: 2014
Realization to: 2016
Summary: Transgenerational modification of phenotype (TP) allows plants to adapt to changing environments and can therefore play an important role in their ecology and evolution. Whereas this phenomenon is relatively well documented for sexual generations, almost nothing is known about the role of TP in asexual, i.e. clonal generations. In the proposed project we will focus on two species differing in the type of clonal reproduction –ramets vs. apomictic seeds. In a series of experiments we will test the role of environmental stress and its intensity on induction of TP and its role in transgenerational adaptation to new environments. We will also investigate the role of epigenetic variation in the observed TP and the role of different stress types and intensities in induction and heritability of epigenetic variation among asexual generations. The proposed project has a strong potential to provide one of the first and most detailed insights into ecological and evolutionary consequences of TP in clonal plants and can thus improve our knowledge about eco-evo processes in the plant kingdom.

Back to List