Chromatin dynamics in Arbidopsis development: a live cell imaging approach

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biology

The proper development of multicellular organisms demands the distinct specification of a variety of specialized cell types. While this is one of the oldest statements of developmental genetics, how different patterns of gene expression are established in genetically identical cells and maintained during somatic cell divisions is still an active topic of research. Chromatin structure is now recognized to regulate gene activity playing a crucial role in cell differentiation and development. Chromatin is not simply a packaging tool but a dynamic entity that reflects the regulatory cues necessary to program appropriate cellular pathways. There are several ways by which chromatin structure can be remodelled. These mechanisms include DNA-methylation, post-translational modifications of histone proteins, histone variants and, nuclear localization. While the dynamic nature of chromatin structure has been previously described its biological function and repercussions on development are only now beginning to be revealed. In this work we used in vivo microscopy techniques to assess how different aspects of chromatin organization play a role on various aspects of development.(...)

A bolsa de doutoramento com a referência SFRH/BD/23202/2005 foi atribuída pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), no âmbito do Quadro Comunitário de Apoio, comparticipado pelo Fundo Social Europeu (FSE).