
Heidstra Group - Stem cell specification and regeneration
A central question in biology is what determines the fate of a cell, tissue or even organ. Fate decisions taking place during embryogenesis are reiterated during the life of the plant to generate the adult architecture. Starting point in our studies on fate specification is the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and its anatomically simple root system.
Mixed fate’ divisions, giving rise to daughter cells with characteristics of two tissue layers, are mutations that are common in plants but near-absent in other organisms. We investigate how the SCHIZORIZA protein can influence several such divisions during root development, which points to an atypical mechanism for plant asymmetric cell division. As SCZ encodes a heat-shock transcription factor, another goal is to investigate its role in stress response. Questions? Ask Honglei Wang.
Stem cell fate involves the redundant PLETHORA (PLT) AP2-domain transcription factors that play a major role in stem cell niche specification and controlling differentiation rate in the meristem. We explore how the many target genes of these transcription factors orchestrate division and differentiation during the progression from stem cell to differentiated cell, while keeping an eye out for other functions in plant development.
Embryonic fate instruction. Zygotic embryogenesis in many plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana, usually kicks off with the asymmetric division of the zygote, forming a smaller apical cell that generates the embryo proper and large basal cell initiating the suspensor. Natural zygotic poly-embryony originating from this normally quiescent suspensor is observed in several species but can also be experimentally induced, demonstrating the potential of the suspensor to change fate and undergo embryonic development. By studying poly-embryonic mutants we aim to unravel the molecular mechanisms controlling fate instruction during embryogenesis. (Honglei Wang)
Fate decisions are instrumental during plant regeneration, but regenerative capacity varies widely among species and tissue types. This regenerative recalcitrance can be particularly distressing for the application of modern plant propagation and breeding techniques if it concerns important crop cultivars. Experiments in Arabidopsis demonstrate that during these steps, cells are first persuaded to change fate towards root stem cell-like identity and subsequently are reprogrammed to acquire shoot fate. We apply our knowledge on root stem cell niche biology to study stemness and regeneration. (Jana Wittmer, Tristan Wijsman)
Root system architecture (RSA) includes two aspects of the root system: its shape and its structure. We study the genes that control RSA in lettuce for optimal growth, either on soil or on hydroponics. To identify key RSA genes, we explore natural variation in a large collection of Lactuca species. The identified genes as well as known root architecture genes are functionally characterized in lettuce by genetic modification. (Anneke Horstman, Francesca Bellinazzo)
Group members
Publications
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Estimating forest litter fuel load by integrating remotely sensed foliage phenology and modeled litter decomposition
Remote Sensing of Environment (2025), Volume: 317 - ISSN 0034-4257 -
Bron- of nascheiden?
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Root dynamics and nitrogen interactions in wheat/faba bean mixtures : The effect of nutrient availability, light signaling and relative emergence time
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): Nikolaas P.R. Anten, Jochem Bas Evers, Hannah Schneider - Wageningen: Wageningen University - ISBN: 9789465103808 -
Identifying irrigated areas using land surface temperature and hydrological modelling : Application to the Rhine basin
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2025), Volume: 29 - ISSN 1027-5606 - p. 1483-1503. -
Tracing isotopic fingerprints : Unveiling the impact of noodle formulation and cooking water on the isotopic signatures of wheat-derived noodles
Current Research in Food Science (2025), Volume: 10 - ISSN 2665-9271 -
Higher-density river discharge observation through integration of multiple satellite data : Midstream Yellow River, China
International Journal of applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (2025), Volume: 137 - ISSN 1569-8432 -
Light spectrum and intensity preferences of fast- and slower-growing broilers vary by age, behaviour and time of day
Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2025), Volume: 283 - ISSN 0168-1591 -
Framework for smartphone-based grape detection and vineyard management using UAV-trained AI
Heliyon (2025), Volume: 11, Issue: 4 - ISSN 2405-8440 -
Soluble fibres modulate dough rheology and gluten structure via hydrogen bond density and Flory-Huggins water interaction parameter
Current Research in Food Science (2025), Volume: 10 - ISSN 2665-9271 -
The Effect of Crop Diversification and Season on Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency Across a European Pedoclimatic Gradient
European Journal of Soil Science (2025), Volume: 76, Issue: 2 - ISSN 1351-0754