A study on three different aspects of gene regulation in the model liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Gene regulation is key to understanding evolution, development, and biological processes, especially in plants. This thesis explores three aspects: identifying regulatory sequences, chromatin-remodelling gene silencing, and transcription factor-mediated regulation, using Marchantia polymorpha—an ideal model organism due to its small genome, haploid lifecycle, and evolutionary significance. Chapter 2 details a computational approach to find regulatory sequences via genome comparisons. Chapter 3 examines Polycomb Repressive Complexes (PRC1 and PRC2), revealing their independent roles in gene silencing, with PRC1 being more influential in plant development. Finally, the study investigates the Asymmetric Leaves (AS) complex, proposing its ancestral role in balancing growth and defense, highlighting the value of diverse species in evolutionary research.