Functional Analysis of the Forkhead Associated Domain in Arabidopsis Thaliana

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The goal of this project is to attain a better understanding of signal transduction pathways in plants. These studies will focus on proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana that contain a novel phosphoprotein binding module known as the forkhead associated (FHA) domain. The FHA domain is found in many signaling proteins and mediates phosphorylation-dependent assembly of signaling complexes. In plants, a type 2C protein phosphatase, kinase associated protein phosphatase (KAPP), interacts with phosphorylated receptor-like protein kinases (RLKs) via an FHA domain. RLKs are the largest class of cell surface receptors in plants and regulated a myriad of cellular functions. KAPP is a negative regulator of RLK function and recent studies indicate kapp mutants developmentally arrest as seedlings. The specific aims of the project are to investigate the function of KAPP in control of plant growth and development and to identify other components in KAPP-mediated signaling pathways. In addition, because FHA domains are found in a wide variety of proteins involved in many different cellular processes other FHA domain-containing proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana will be analyzed. This research, which will use a combination of molecular genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry, will contribute significantly to a broader understanding of cellular communication.