Nitrate (NO3-) is not only a nutrient, it is also a signal molecule that controls the expression of many genes involved in nitrate assimilation and transport. This early response to nitrate is called Primary Nitrate Response (PNR) and is controlled in Arabidopsis thaliana by AtNLP7, which belongs to the NIN-Like Protein family of transcriptions factors. Orthologs of AtNLP7 have been identified in other species, such as rice and maize, and also in Pooideaes like barley (HvNLP1) and Brachypodium distachyon (BdNLP6 and BdNLP7) which is used as a model (Girin et al., 2014). The aim of the project is to decipher the molecular aspects of the PNR in cereals, studying mainly Brachypodium. Through the analyze of a transcriptome in Arabidopsis, Brachypodium and Barley, the project will provide insights into the effects of evolution and domestication on the plant response to nitrate. In addition, the mechanistic of the PNR will be studied in Brachypodium by studying the role and the regulations of BdNLP6 and BdNLP7.