A Fruitful Approach to Decode FRUITFULL-like Genes - Exploring evolutionary conservation of regulatory regions and protein motifs

Summary

My PhD research focused on understanding how certain plant transcription factors, called FRUITFULL-like genes, control key aspects of plant development, including the timing of flowering and the development of fruits. These genes are multifunctional, and I explored how their roles can be separated by studying both the proteins they encode and the DNA regions that regulate their activity. To do this, I investigated these mechanisms in Arabidopsis and tomato, using a variety of techniques. Separating the functions of multifunctional genes is crucial for understanding their complex roles and enables the targeted adjustment of specific traits in crops without affecting others. Gaining insights into how these genes work and how their functions are controlled improve our understanding of plant development and can help to enhance crop traits in the future.