The role of O-GlcNAcylation in plant developmental transitions
Abstract
Plants undergo several developmental transitions in the course of their life cycle, marked by specific morphological changes such as altered leaf morphology, the formation of leaf hairs (trichomes) and the onset of flowering. Mutants in the putative O-GlcNAc transferase SPINDLY show an accelerated transition from the juvenile to the adult phase, as well as early flowering, but a potential connection between O-GlcNAcyltaion and phase change has not been adressed as yet. O-GlcNAcylation is a common posttranslational modification, where a single N-acetyl-β-D glucosamine (GlcNAc) is O-linked to side chains of serine- or threonine residues in nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. The targets and molecular function of O-GlcNAcylation in plants are not well characterized. In animals, this modification serves an important signalling role in a range of different cellular processes, often in response to stress and nutrients. As the availability of the donor molecule UDP-GlcNAc reflects the overall state of nutrition within cells, it has been suggested that O-GlcNAcylation may integrate information on stress and nutrients to basic cellular processes on a global level. On the other hand, the timing of developmental transitions in plants is regulated by the amount of available sugar accumulating during plant growth. This process is mediated by balancing the ratio between miRNA156 and miRNA172, therefore regulating the downstream miRNA156 target genes, a family of SPL-transcription factors. Given the observed early transition phenotypes in spy-mutants, this project aims to investigate a potential role of SPY in developmental transitions, focusing on the juvenile to adult phase change and the regulation of flowering time. Levels of miRNA156 and its target genes in spy-mutant backgrounds will be analysed, and genetic analysis will be performed to establish the interaction of SPY and the SPL transcription factors. These experiments will establish if SPY regulates developmental transitions via the miRNA156 pathway and/or SPL transcription factors.
Publikationen
Mitarbeiter*innen
Doris Lucyshyn
Mag. Dr. Doris Lucyshyn
doris.lucyshyn@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-94035, 94250
Projektleiter*in
01.11.2017 - 11.10.2017
Krishna Vasant Mutanwad
Dr. Krishna Vasant Mutanwad
krishna.mutanwad@boku.ac.at
Projektleiter*in
12.10.2017 - 31.10.2020