Pilar Prieto Aranda

MEIOSIS, CHROMOSOMAL MANIPULATION IN PLANTS, INTER-SPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION IN CEREALS

The main line of research deals with the study of genome organization in cereals, mainly rice and wheat, combining the use of confocal microscopy, genomic and proteomic approaches. Of particular relevance is the study of chromosome associations at the onset of meiosis (division that occurs in germ cells by which the genetic endowment is reduced by half), at which time chromosomes are recognized and associated in pairs for successful recombination. Manipulation of these chromosomal associations is used in breeding to promote interspecific recombination between wheat and related species such as wild and cultivated barley and to facilitate the transfer of traits of interest to wheat. Other lines of research address the study of the colonization process of microorganisms in various species of interest using molecular tools and confocal microscopy.

Outstanding contributions

• Garrido, J.; Aguilar, M.; Prieto, P. 2020. Identification and validation of reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization in wheat meiosis. Scientific Report, 10: 2726.
• Aguilar, M.; Prieto, P. 2020. Sequence analysis of wheat subtelomeres reveals a high polymorphism among homoeologous chromosomes. The plant genome, 13: e20065DOI:10.1111/1462-2920.14688
• Prieto, P. 2020. Chromosome manipulation for plant breeding purposes. Agronomy, 10(11): 1695