Research Projects

Tuberization (tuber development) is a major vegetative mode of propagation in potato and tubers are developed from an underground modified stem, known as stolon. Under inductive conditions (short-day light and low temperature), signals generated from leaves are perceived by stolons and thereby tuberization events are initiated in the subapical part of the stolon. A number of mobile (micro and macromolecular) signals, phytohormones and transcription factors are shown to play crucial role in establishing the tuber development phase. In last two decades, we have identified several key mobile signals and gathered fair amount of knowledge on the mechanistic basis of tuber development. Interestingly, we also observed that stolons growing over the surface and sub-surface of soil can eventually evade the tuber fate and dedifferentiate into a new shoot, leading to a mature plant upon perception of light. The mechanistic basis for such amazing developmental plasticity of a stolon to acquire two distinct organ fates (shoot vs. tuber) in response to intrinsic and extrinsic signals remains completely unknown. We hypothesize that crucial photoreceptors, phytohormones, gene regulatory network are likely to orchestrate the molecular events necessary to reprogram the fate acquisition at a cellular level, and more specifically in the stolon apical meristem. Our preliminary work indicate that HD-ZIP-III transcription factors might be involved in de-differentiation program considering their varying expression pattern in different stolon developmental stages. Using an in-house customized aeroponics chamber equipped with different light spectrum (blue, red, far-red, white and dark), here, we propose to unravel the molecular switches/regulatory networks that govern the decision and acquisition of either fate in stolon (shoot vs potato), an organ vital for development of a demanding food crop. Our studies will yield novel information in regulation of stolon de-differentiation fate (shoot vs. tuber) and not only enrich our knowledge in the dual fate acquisition process, but in future, the study will enable us to design further strategies for application-based research on potato development mechanism.