Regulation of plant metabolism in response to low oxygen concentrations

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In this proposal we aim to characterize signalling components that are involved in the proactive response of plants to a moderate decrease in the oxygen concentration as it occurs under physiological conditions within their tissues. To do this, we will mainly focus on investigating signalling pathways that lead to reprogramming of gene expression in response to low oxygen. In the past years, a vast array of hypoxia induced metabolic and molecular responses are already characterised by us. Now, we want to investigate the sensing and signalling cascade that is involved in regulating the various responses. We will use RT-PCR transcription factor profiling to identify oxygen related transcription factors that are involved in regulating gene expression and adaptation to low oxygen. The selected transcription factors will be characterised in-vivo and in-vitro to reveal their physiological function and their genetic interaction to trigger transcription of oxygen sensitive promoters. Target sequences will be explored in chromosomal sections that have been identified by QTL analysis of the low-oxygen response. A luciferase reporter screen is used to find oxygen signalling mutants defective in genes that link the changes in gene expression to low oxygen.