Structural and functional analysis of signalling complexes formed by the ethylene receptor ETR1 in response to signal perception

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The plant hormone ethylene influences many processes of plant growth and development and is known as the hormone which initiates fruit ripening. Reverse genetics has identified a family of membrane intrinsic proteins (ETR1, ERS1, ETR2, ERS2, E1N4) similar to bacterial two-component histidine kinases as receptors of the gaseous hormone, and also several downstream components of the ethylene signalling cascade. These data suggest that the receptors have different operation modes for the signalling of the plant hormone and interact with the soluble Ser-Thr kinase CTR1, but also with the histidine-containing transfer protein AHP1. In order to understand this interaction with alternative signalling partners on a more quantitative level and to recognize the processes taking place at the beginning of the signalling cascade more precisely our project is determined to resolve complex formation and stability as well as high-resolution molecular structure of the ETR1-AHP1 and the ETR1-CTR1-complex by a biochemical and biophysical approach using fluorescence spectroscopy, protein crystallisation and X-ray diffraction studies.