Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Transcriptional and hormonal regulation of epicotyl dormancy in Kala Jeera (Bunium persicum) |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Jeremy Dkhar, CSIR-Institute Of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Himachal Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | jeremydkhar@ihbt.res.in |
Equipments : | Seed Germinator
Plant Growth Chamber |
Details
Executive Summary : | Kala Jeera, also known as Bunium persicum, is a plant species that develops seeds with both radicle and epicotyl dormancy. Epicotyl dormancy occurs when shoot emergence is delayed by 3-4 weeks or longer after the radicle has emerged. Seeds with epicotyl dormancy develop a root at warm temperatures, while shoots emerge only after exposure to cold temperatures. B. persicum seeds require cold stratification for germination, while hypocotyl seeds emerge best at 10-25˚C. In the wild, if the plant remains undisturbed in the soil, it will grow into a complete plant in the second year. Despite attempts to release seed dormancy in B. persicum, breaking epicotyl dormancy in B. persicum has not succeeded. In plants, ABA and GA antagonistically act to regulate seed dormancy and germination. Zhang et al. (2022) estimated endogenous ABA and GA content in Paeonia ostii and found that ABA content decreased gradually while GA content increased rapidly during the epicotyl dormancy-breaking period. Liao et al. (2021) used RNA-seq to identify genes associated with radicle and shoot emergence in Polygonatum sibiricum. The proposed project aims to address questions about which genes are associated with epicotyl dormancy in B. persicum and whether plant hormones contribute to epicotyl dormancy in B. persicum. Different developmental stages will be selected to determine endogenous hormone levels and identify genes associated with epicotyl dormancy in B. persicum using UPLC- and/or ELISA-based methods. Understanding the underlying mechanisms controlling epicotyl dormancy in B. persicum could help overcome the dormancy problem and promote large-scale cultivation of Kala Jeera. |
Total Budget (INR): | 44,01,302 |
Organizations involved