Bonnot Titouan

Bonnot Titouan

2016 December - Wheat grain response to nitrogen and sulfur supply: integrative study of molecular mechanisms involved during the grain development using -omics analyses

Improving the yield potential of cereals represents a major challenge. In this context, wheat grain quality has to be maintained. Indeed, grain quality is mainly determined by the content and the composition of storage proteins, but there is a strongly negative correlation between yield and grain protein concentration. In addition, grain quality is strongly influenced by the availability of nitrogen and sulfur in soils. Nowadays, the limitation of nitrogen inputs, and also the sulphur deficiency recently observed in soils represent major difficulties to control the quality. Therefore, understanding of molecular mechanisms controlling grain development and accumulation of storage proteins in response to nitrogen and sulfur supply is a major issue. The objective of this thesis was to create knowledge on the comprehension of these regulatory mechanisms. For this purpose, the best strategy to identify molecular actors involved in these processes consisted of -omics approaches. In our studies, the nuclear proteome was an important target. Among these proteins, we revealed some transcriptional regulators likely to be involved in the control of the accumulation of grain storage compounds. Using an approach combining proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data, the characterization of the integrative grain response to the nitrogen and sulfur supply was obtained. Besides, our studies clearly confirmed the major influence of sulfur in the control of the nitrogen/sulfur balance that determines the grain storage protein composition. Among the changes observed in the cell metabolism, some genes were disturbed by the modification of this balance. Thus these genes could coordinate the adjustment of grain composition in response to nutritional deficiencies. These new results contribute in facing the challenge of maintaining wheat grain quality with sustainable agriculture.

Modification date : 27 June 2023 | Publication date : 29 March 2021 | Redactor : Karine Ribeyre