SFB 480: Molecular Biology of Complex Functions in Botanical Systems

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The development of all organisms is realized by interactions of nucleic acids, proteins and low molecular weight compounds which, acting together, realize an organism¿s genetic program. Environmental signals serve as additional modifiers of development, especially in plants. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying plant development, are far from being understood. The collaborative research centre 480 aims at a better understanding of how the information contained in the gene sequences is being realized by an interplay between the nucleic acids, proteins and low molecular weight signaling molecules, such as the plant hormones. In order to achieve this, a wide array of techniques is being used to study functional aspects of plant development at the molecular level. These include techniques of: protein biochemistry, biophysics and spectroscopy, molecular genetics, immunology, phytochemistry, cytology and cell biology. The objects studied range from cyanobacteria to yeasts and filamentous fungi to higher plants including Arabidopsis thaliana. The research concept is subdivided into three categories representing organizational levels of increasing complexity: (1) from molecules to functional supramolecular complexes (project category C); (2) from those to the establishment of organelles and cellular compartments (project category B); (3) from cells to tissues to a multicellular organism (project category A).