Exploring the phosphoinositide network to modulate plant cell polarity

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Inositol-phospholipids, or phosphoinositides, perform multiple regulatory functions in eukaryotic cells and are involved in processes as diverse as signal transduction, ion transport, membrane fusion, and the organization of the cytoskeleton. Minor stereospecific modifications of the inositol-moiety in the lipid headgroup serve as signatures for the orchestration of the various cellular functions. The substrate- and reactionspecificity of enzymes that modify phosphoinositides and cause the structural diversity is not mechanistically understood. It is the aim of this study to perform structure/function analyses on enzymes involved in phosphoinositide metabolism, such as stereospecific phosphoinositide kinases, and to use the results for predictive protein engineering. Stress-induced growth responses of plants are mediated by phosphoinositides as central regulatory players. The modification of key enzymes in the phosphoinositide pathway according to results from structure/ function analysis presents a novel approach to affect plant growth responses for agricultural purposes through metabolic engineering. Skills in protein structure/function analysis and "protein engineering" will be acquired in phase 1 in the laboratory of Dr. John Shanklin and will be applied to phosphoinositide kinases in phase 2 in the laboratory of Dr. Bernd Müller-Röber.