INTERCOM · Mitochondria-ER communication by contact sites during plant stress responses
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-09-01 → 2025-08-31
- EU contribution
- €175,920
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Mitochondria-ER communication by contact sites during plant stress responses
The INTERCOM project sought to deepen our understanding of plant inter-organelle communication, specifically focusing on ER-mitochondria interactions. The mechanism by which plant intracellular organelles interact in response to stress signals is still an underexplored area of plant stress sensing, and addressing this knowledge gap is crucial for enhancing our ability to engineer plants more resilient to adverse environmental conditions. The objectives of the project included establishing a proteomic setup in planta to identify novel membrane contact sites (MCS) proteins, developing a platform to study inter-organelle interactions in vivo, and identifying stimuli driving MCS dynamics. Despite the early termination of the grant, significant progress was achieved, including the establishment of valuable tools not only to advance the overall aim of the project but also to benefit the broader scientific community. In addition, the project also contributed to strengthening the transversal skill set and competencies of the researcher, Dr. Elena Sanchez Martin-Fontecha.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
It is common knowledge that an ethernet connection is safer than a wireless connection, and cellular organelles share this approach. To communicate directly among each other, organelles are thought to use Membrane Contact Sites (MCS), the optical fibers at the intracellular level. Organelles are in a prime position to sense and communicate stress signals due to their tight integration into the cells metabolic networks. Inter-organelle communication is thus crucial to pass on the message to coordinate cellular stress responses and maintain homeostasis. I hypothesise that MCS allow fast and efficient communication of stress signals between intracellular organelles (e.g. mitochondria and ER) to coordinate the cellular stress responses. However, the organelle tethering proteins, the stimuli driving MCS formation and the signalling molecules mediated through these MCS remain elusive in plants. In INTERCOM, I will characterise ER-mitochondria communication in response to stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. For that, I will leverage the host labs previously established ER-mitochondria communication model system and establish a proteomic screening setup to identify novel proteins involved in ER-mitochondria MCS in plants. In addition, I will develop a high-throughput platform to study inter-organelle interactions in vivo and to identify stimuli driving MCS dynamics. Finally, I will employ genetically encoded biosensors to pinpoint ROS and calcium inter-organelle signalling events. To reach my goal, I will combine my expertise in intracellular signalling and bioimaging with cutting-edge interactomics, live-cell imaging and high-content technologies available at the host institute. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach will allow me to shed light on plant inter-organelle communication, a field still in its infancy in plant biology with the potential to pave the path for the biotechnological engineering of plants more resilient to harmful environmental conditions.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- VIB VZW · ZWIJNAARDE - GENTCoordinatorBelgium
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101107007
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e50aa5e1d2&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e5174355bd&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union