Our research group is focused on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate flowering time in response to environmental signals, including temperature and abiotic stresses such as water deficit. We study two key plant species: Oryza sativa (rice), a model for monocots, and Arabidopsis thaliana, the model species for dicots. By investigating the molecular pathways that govern flowering in these plants, our research aims to provide crucial insights that can contribute to breeding programs focused on developing crops more resilient to climate change.

Molecular mechanisms of flowering time control mediated by warm temperatures in rice (FloWRice) – Reference: CIDEXG/2023/28
Funding body and call: Generalitat Valenciana (GVA), Call CIDEGENT 2023
Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Fernando Andrés
Start date and end date: 09/09/2024-08/09/2028
Total amount of the grant: 610 000 €

1. Amy E. Watson, Baptiste Guitton, Alexandre Soriano, Ronan Rivallan, Hélène Vignes, Isabelle Farrera, Bruno Huettel, Catalina Arnaiz, Vítor da Silveira Falavigna, Aude Coupel-Ledru … Fernando Andrés (2024). Target enrichment sequencing coupled with GWAS identifies MdPRX10 as a candidate gene in the control of budbreak in apple. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15, 1352757, https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1352757
2. Hisayo Yamane, Fernando Andrés, Songling Bai, Eike Luedeling, Etti Or (2023). Editorial: Environmental and molecular control of bud dormancy and bud break in woody perennials: An integrative approach. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1104108, https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1104108
3. S. Falavigna, E. Severing, J. Estevan, I. Farrera, V. Hugouvieux, L.F. Revers, C. Zubieta, G. Coupland, E. Costes, Fernando Andrés (2022). Potential role of apple SOC1-like transcription factors in gene regulatory networks involved in bud dormancy. Acta Horticulturae, (1342), 41-48, https://dx.doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2022.1342.6
4. Julio Garighan, Etienne Dvorak, Joan Estevan, Karine Loridon, Bruno Huettel, Gautier Sarah, Isabelle Farrera, Julie Leclercq, Priscila Grynberg, Roberto Coiti Togawa … Fernando Andrés (2021). The Identification of Small RNAs Differentially Expressed in Apple Buds Reveals a Potential Role of the Mir159-MYB Regulatory Module during Dormancy. Plants, 10 (12), https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants10122665
5. Vítor da Silveira Falavigna, Edouard Severing, Xuelei Lai, Joan Estevan, Isabelle Farrera, Véronique Hugouvieux, Luís Fernando Revers, Chloe Zubieta, George Coupland, Evelyne Costes, Fernando Andrés (2021). Unraveling the role of MADS transcription factor complexes in apple tree dormancy. New Phytologist, 232 (5), 2071-2088, https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.17710
6. Qing Sang, Alice Pajoro, Hequan Sun, Baoxing Song, Xia Yang, Sara C Stolze, Fernando Andrés, Korbinian Schneeberger, Hirofumi Nakagami, George Coupland (2020). Mutagenesis of a Quintuple Mutant Impaired in Environmental Responses Reveals Roles for CHROMATIN REMODELING4 in the Arabidopsis Floral Transition. The Plant cell, 32 (5), 1479-1500, https://dx.doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00992
7. Fernando Andrés, Atsuko Kinoshita, Naveen Kalluri, Virginia Fernández, Vítor S Falavigna, Tiago M D Cruz, Seonghoe Jang, Yasutaka Chiba, Mitsunori Seo, Tabea Mettler-Altmann et al. (2020). The sugar transporter SWEET10 acts downstream of FLOWERING LOCUS T during floral transition of Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Plant Biology, 20 (1), https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-2266-0
8. Joan Estevan, Sara Gómez‐jiménez, Vítor da Silveira Falavigna, Alicia Camuel, Lisa Planel, Evelyne Costes, Fernando Andrés (2020). An efficient protocol for functional studies of apple transcription factors using a glucocorticoid receptor fusion system. Applications in Plant Sciences, 8 (10), https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aps3.11396
9. Maida Romera-Branchat, Edouard Severing, Chloé Pocard, Hyonhwa Ohr, Coral Vincent, Guillaume Née, Rafael Martínez-Gallegos, Seonghoe Jang, Fernando Andrés, Pedro Madrigal et al. (2020). Functional Divergence of the Arabidopsis Florigen-Interacting bZIP Transcription Factors FD and FDP. Cell Reports, 31 (9), 107717, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107717
10. Amparo Andrés-Bordería, Fernando Andrés, Antoni Garcia-Molina, Ana Perea-García, Concha Domingo, Sergi Puig, Lola Peñarrubia (2017). Copper and ectopic expression of the Arabidopsis transport protein COPT1 alter iron homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Plant Molecular Biology, 95 (1-2), 17-32, https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11103-017-0622-8
11. Fernando Andrés, Maida Romera-Branchat, Rafael Martínez-Gallegos, Vipul Patel, Korbinian Schneeberger, Seonghoe Jang, Janine Altmüller, Peter Nürnberg, George Coupland (2015). Floral Induction in Arabidopsis by FLOWERING LOCUS T Requires Direct Repression of BLADE-ON-PETIOLE Genes by the Homeodomain Protein PENNYWISE. Plant Physiology, 169 (3), 2187-2199, https://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.15.00960
12. Martín Krzymuski, Fernando Andrés, Juan I Cagnola, Seonghoe Jang, Marcelo J Yanovsky, George Coupland, Jorge J Casal (2015). The dynamics of FLOWERING LOCUS T expression encodes long-day information. The Plant Journal, 83 (6), 952-961, https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.12938
13. Yuki Nakamura, Fernando Andrés, Kazue Kanehara, Yu-Chi Liu, Peter Dörmann, George Coupland (2014). Arabidopsis florigen FT binds to diurnally oscillating phospholipids that accelerate flowering.. Nature Communications, 5, np, https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4553
14. Yuki Nakamura, Fernando Andrés, Kazue Kanehara, Yu-Chi Liu, George Coupland, Peter Dörmann (2014). Diurnal and circadian expression profiles of glycerolipid biosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis. Plant Signaling and Behavior, 9 (9), np, https://dx.doi.org/10.4161/psb.29715
15. Veronica Gregis, Fernando Andrés, Alice Sessa, Rosalinda F Guerra, Sara Simonini, Julieta L Mateos, Stefano Torti, Federico Zambelli, Gian Marco Prazzoli, Katrine N Bjerkan et al. (2013). Identification of pathways directly regulated by SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE during vegetative and reproductive development in Arabidopsis.. Genome Biology, 14 (6), R56, https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/gb-2013-14-6-r56
16. Stefano Torti, Fabio Fornara, Coral Vincent, Fernando Andrés, Karl Nordström, Ulrike Göbel, Daniela Knoll, Heiko Schoof, George Coupland (2012). Analysis of the Arabidopsis shoot meristem transcriptome during floral transition identifies distinct regulatory patterns and a leucine-rich repeat protein that promotes flowering. The Plant cell, 24 (2), 444-462, https://dx.doi.org/10.1105/tpc.111.092791
17. Wafa Mouhaya, Thierry Allario, Javier Brumos, Fernando Andrés, Yann Froelicher, Luro François, Manuel Talon, Patrick Ollitrault, Raphaël Morillon (2010). Sensitivity to high salinity in tetraploid citrus seedlings increases with water availability and correlates with expression of candidate genes. Functional Plant Biology, 37 (7), 674-685, https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/FP10035
18. Concha Domingo, Fernando Andrés, Didier Tharreau, Domingo J. Iglesias, Manuel Talón (2009). Constitutive expression of OsGH3.1 reduces auxin content and enhances defense response and resistance to a fungal pathogen in rice. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 22 (2), 201-210, https://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-22-2-0201
19. Fernando Andrés, David W Galbraith, Manuel Talón, Concha Domingo (2009). Analysis of PHOTOPERIOD SENSITIVITY5 sheds light on the role of phytochromes in photoperiodic flowering in rice.. Plant Physiology, 151 (2), 681-690, https://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.109.139097
20. Javier Terol, Ana Conesa, Jose M Colmenero, Manuel Cercos, Francisco Tadeo, Javier Agustí, Enriqueta Alós, Fernando Andrés, Guillermo Soler, Javier Brumos et al. (2007). Analysis of 13000 unique Citrus clusters associated with fruit quality, production and salinity tolerance. BMC Genomics, 8, np, https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-8-31
21. Domingo, Fernando Andrés, M. Talón (2007). Rice cv. Bahia mutagenized population: a new resource for rice breeding in the Mediterranean basin. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 5 (3), 341, https://dx.doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2007053-254
22. J Forment, J Gadea, L Huerta, L Abizanda, J Agusti, S Alamar, E Alos, Fernando Andrés, R Arribas, J P Beltran et al. (2005). Development of a citrus genome-wide EST collection and cDNA microarray as resources for genomic studies. Plant Molecular Biology, 57 (3), 375-391, https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11103-004-7926-1