Arabidopsis 2010: Analysis of the Two-component Signaling Network

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The gene network: This project focuses on a gene network that regulates plant responses tocytokinin, a key hormonal regulator of plant growth and development. The initial steps incytokinin signaling are mediated by a 'two-component' system that transmits information frommembrane to nucleus. The two-component system makes use of histidine kinases that act ascytokinin receptors, histidine-containing phosphotransfer proteins that transduce the initialsignal, and response regulators that regulate the signal output. The transcriptional targets of thispathway as well as other outputs have yet to be determined. This project will delineate thenetwork of genes and proteins regulated by two-component signaling elements of Arabidopsis.This two-component signaling network includes the transcription factors that control geneexpression as well as interacting proteins that regulate other aspects of signal output.Project URL: http://www.bio.unc.edu/research/two-component/default.htmFunctional characterization: Transcription factors will be characterized in terms of the genes thatthey regulate. Proteins will be characterized in terms of their protein-protein interactions withinthe signaling network. The physiological function of the network elements will be defined interms of their role in regulating cytokinin responses as well as seed size, meristem function,vascular development, leaf and cotyledon morphology, metal ion homeostasis, and circadianrhythms.Sharing of results: Genomic information and tools generated will be made available to theresearch community through the web and through standard methods of publication in a timelyfashion. Datasets of general interest, that are not made available through publication, will bedeposited on the project web site within two years of their generation.Significance of work: These studies will define the circuitry by which the two-component genenetwork acts to alter plant growth and development. In addition, these studies will revealconnections between this pathway and other cellular networks. Determining how this integrationis achieved will contribute to an understanding of signaling networks in plants and will serve as amodel for examining other interactions within the plant cell. The techniques and tools developedduring the course of these studies will assist gene studies in Arabidopsis and in other plantspecies.Broader impact: Results from the project will benefit society through the understanding of acritical gene network that regulates multiple traits of agronomic importance. Elucidation of theseroles will provide avenues to modify such agriculturally relevant traits such as senescence, planttransformation, grain yield and filling, and patterns of growth and development. The plantresearch community will benefit by the optimization of novel research techniques and thedevelopment of new community resources. The proposed research will enhance theinfrastructure of research and education by providing hands-on training for undergraduatestudents, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers within the PIs' labs. In addition, thePIs will partner will local groups to assist in the creation and maintenance of programs aimed atfostering science education in grades K-12.