Dr. Rohde will give an invited presentation on Thursday, August 28, for the IUFRO-CTIA Main Conference.  The abstract of her presentation is provided below.

Integrating molecular and genetic data for a better understanding of bud set in poplar

The seasonal cycle of growth and dormancy distinguishes perennial plants and represents one of the most basic adaptations of trees to their environment. Because bud set is of prime importance for season length in a changing environment, we dissected this developmental program at the phenotypic, genetic and molecular levels.

Combined metabolite and gene expression studies were used to reconstruct the molecular events during apical bud development in poplar. Bud development could be dissected into bud formation, acclimation to dehydration and cold, and dormancy. To each of these processes, specific sets of regulatory and marker genes and metabolites are associated and provide a reference frame for functional studies. A large set of differentially expressed genes was also expressed during the growth-to-dormancy transitions in poplar cambium and Arabidopsis seeds, suggesting parallels for dormancy regulation in different plant organs.

Bud set in field conditions was evaluated with a new high-resolution scoring system in five breeding pedigrees and a collection of P. nigra. QTLs identified in the different genetic maps are investigated for co-localization on the poplar genome sequence. Genomic regions of relevance for bud set are being tested for their adaptive value through association genetics approaches.

After studies of agriculture and molecular biology in Berlin (Germany) and Brussels (Belgium), Antje Rohde joined Lab of Genetics directed by Marc Van Montagu at the University of Ghent (Belgium). There, she obtained her PhD on bud dormancy of poplar in 1998. She has been working with trees using physiological, molecular, genomics and genetic approaches for more than 15 years. Her main research interest is in understanding the synchronization of growth and development with environmental conditions in general and with recurrent seasons in particular.