EVERPHOT · Molecular mechanisms of photoprotection in plants.
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2020-01-01 → 2021-12-31
- EU contribution
- €203,852
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-RI
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Molecular mechanisms of photoprotection in plants.
Photosynthesis is a biological process of primary importance, as it provides the energy that drives food, feedstock and biofuel production and mitigates climate change. Light in excess of photosynthetic capacity can be damaging, thus ways to protect against damage have evolved, including ways to minimize light absorption, detoxify reactive oxygen species generated by excess light, and dissipate excess absorbed light. Together, these processes are known as photoprotection. The objective of the proposed research project is to solve molecular mechanisms of photoprotection in plants, in particular one involved during prolonged light stress such as during drought, extreme cold or high temperature combined with high light. By increasing the efficiency by which light energy is converted into biomass we can increase the efficiency and production of food and plant-based products. The new knowledge generated by the action can be exploited to inform manipulations that aim at down regulating or eliminating sustained energy dissipation which may prove to significantly increase food or energy crops yield and or particular relevance here fiber from trees. Expanding knowledge of photoprotection mechanisms should also enable new designs for artificial light-harvesting systems as biophysical properties from nature's design are unveiled. The overall objectives were to determine the mechanism of qH and identify new molecular players involved in its regulation. In this project, we found that the dissipation of energy by qH can take place in the trimeric antenna of plants and may stem from chlorophyll-chlorophyll excitonic interactions. We also identified a new domain in the protein SOQ1 which negatively regulates qH. The C-terminal domain of SOQ1 has homology to nDsbD and is essential for repressing qH. Furthermore, we have used whole genome sequencing of 65 Arabidopsis mutants and found the causative mutations for their altered qH phenotype in about 20% of them. We have also studied LCNP function in inducing qH.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Photosynthesis is a biological process of primary importance, as it provides the energy that drives food, feedstock and biofuel production and mitigates climate change. Light in excess of photosynthetic capacity can be damaging, thus ways to protect against damage have evolved, including ways to minimize light absorption, detoxify reactive oxygen species generated by excess light, and dissipate excess absorbed light. Together, these processes are known as photoprotection. Despite the physiological importance of photoprotection, the molecular mechanisms that protect against light stress remain largely unknown, especially those that protect from prolonged light stress. The objective of the proposed research project is to solve molecular mechanisms of photoprotection in plants. My specific aims are to 1) investigate the function of known involved factors in sustained energy dissipation in the model plant Arabidopsis, 2) identify novel molecular players and 3) use an organism that is genetically adapted to cope with high light stress, the evergreen Norway spruce. The research will be carried out in my laboratory where genetics, biochemistry, biophysics and physiological approaches will be combined to address this problem. The research in my group will provide insights into fundamental mechanisms of light energy capture, utilization and dissipation and will lead to the identification of new targets for manipulation, key to increasing yields of energy and food crops.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UMEA UNIVERSITET · UMEACoordinatorSweden
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union