DARK SIGNALING · Dark signaling mechanisms involved in the regulation of the developmental switch from dark to light growth in Arabidopsis seedlings
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2007-06-01 → 2009-05-31
- EU contribution
- €80,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - DARK SIGNALING (Dark signaling mechanisms involved in the regulation of the developmental switch from dark to light growth in Arabidopsis seedlings)
Historically, plant research has received less attention and funding than animal research, which has resulted in a lack of plant knowledge. Today, understanding how plants work is crucial if we want to solve pressing problems such as food shortages and climate change. Our step in increasing plant knowledge is to study the main plant decision-making headquarters: the plant cell nucleus. The nucleus is the place where important decisions affecting cell and ultimately plant growth are made. For example, after detecting environmental changes like drought or light stress, the nuclei will orchestrate the required response that will allow the plant to adapt. Our strategy is to break into the plant headquarters and reveal its governing members, who are now still largely unknown. In addition, we want to uncover how and when the members act, interact and discuss, and how the members organize themselves into committees where they make decisions and give the appropriate orders to the plant. This knowledge will be central to our success in improving our environment and food supply. The specific objective of this IRG project was to gain insight into the role of the bHLH-type transcription factor PIF3 (for phytochrome-interacting factor 3) as a plant growth regulator. PIF3 interacts with the activated form of the light photoreceptor phytochrome, and it is of critical importance in many aspects of light-regulated plant growth and development. However, its basic mechanism of action remains still largely unknown. Using a combination of (1) microarray analysis to analyse PIF3-regulated expression changes and (2) reverse genetics using mutants of the model plant Arabidopsis, we have identified several PIF3-regulated nuclear factors that are novel regulators of plant growth. This scientific achievement contributes to increase our understanding of how plants work, and further future characterisation of these novel factors will reveal their interactions and their role in the decision-making process of plants to regulate their responses to their environment.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
One of the most dramatic changes in plant growth and development is the transition from life in the underground darkness after germination of the buried seed, to life in sunlight when the seedling reaches the soil surface. In Arabidopsis, seedlings in the dark have long hypocotyls, closed unexpanded cotyledons protected by an apical hook, and lack pigmentation.Upon transition to light, seedlings switch their developmental program to adjust accordingly: the hypocotyl slows down elongation, the apical hook unfolds, cotyledons separate and expand, and chloroplasts develop and accumulate chlorophyll. Recent studies have shown that the phytochrome (phy) A and phyB photoreceptors, and the phy-interacting bHLH transcription factors PIF1 and PIF3 are involved in this process, together with the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1. Despite increasing progress, the mechanisms operating in this dark-to-light developmental switch are still largely unknown.The main objective of this proposal is to identify the regulatory mechanisms involved. Previous results have revealed the importance of the dark period in the regulation of this process. We propose to examine the protein and gene expression profiles during dark development in Arabidopsis seedlings to identify differentially regulated factors with a role in the dark-to-light switch.The specific objectives are:- identification of factors differentially expressed in dark-grown seedlings using a novel proteomics approach and through the analysis of genomic profiles; and- characterization of the role of the new identified factors in the dark-to-light switch in development using reverse genetics and molecular approaches.This proposal fulfils the objectives of the IRG Programme to contribute to European research and transfer the knowledge acquired by the applicant during the seven years of postdoctoral career in the US, and contributes to the objectives of the ERA to foster fundamental knowledge and basic tools for functional genomics.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CONSORCI LABORATORI CSIC-IRTA DE GENETICA MOLECULAR VEGETAL · BARCELONACoordinatorCity levelSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union