Transcriptional factors (TF) are vital regulatory elements that under certain conditions bind to DNA and alter the rate of gene transcription and expression (Latchman 1993). These transcriptional regulators therefore act as candidates for modification of complex traits in crop plants (Rabara et al. 2014). MYB transcription factors, characterized by an N-terminal “MYB” domain, are one of the largest and diverse TF families in plants. There are at least four types of structurally different MYB proteins in plants that control crucial biological processes such as biotic and abiotic stress, secondary metabolism, development and differentiation (Du et al. 2009; Dubos et al. 2010). The family Solanaceae includes several species of economically important, medicinal and horticultural crops worldwide (Shahzadi et al. 2015). However, no comprehensive analysis of the MYBs across the family has been conducted so far. Therefore, the proposed project will be an attempt to gain insight into the complexities of MYB family diversity, understand impacts of genome evolution on gene families and develop an evolutionary framework to understand the origin of various subcategories of MYB gene family. Methods involved will be identification of MYB homologs using the Sol genomics Portal database where 14 sequenced genomes are available. The homologues will be screened for the presence of functional MYB domain. All the homologues will be analyzed for constructing evolutionary relationships, their gene structure, physicochemical properties, protein structure etc.
In this project the student will develop a strong foundation in plant molecular biology, bioinformatics, evolutionary genomics and plant evolution, gaining hands-on experience in analyzing transcription factor gene families using computational approaches. The data collected and the results of this project will provide a solid foundation for an independent scientific publication.
Please contact Sissi Lozada Gobilard (sissi.lozada_gobilard@biol.lu.se) for any questions or interest