On the Regulation of Vacuolar Size and its Impact on Cellular Elongation
Abstract
The expansion of the vacuoles play a central role in cell size regulation in plants. This organelle allow plant cells to quickly multiply their volume without massive de-novo synthesis of cytosolic components. My aim is to identify and characterize molecular players involved in the regulation of vesicle trafficking towards the vacuole during cellular elongation. ZAC is an ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein, with a role in ARF-dependent vesicle trafficking. Hence, part of my proposed project is to address whether ZAC is directly involved in the regulation of vacuolar size and subsequently in cellular elongation. I will use zac mutant and overexpressors for 3D reconstruction of plant vacuoles, allowing me to quantify the impact of ZAC on tonoplast surface and overall vacuolar occupancy of the cell. I will also assess endocytic trafficking to the vacuole before and during cellular elongation in these lines. To investigate if and how ZAC is involved in the auxin response, I will quantify ZAC transcription, in addition to abundance and localization of ZAC-GFP in response to auxin. These experiments will define the potential involvement of ZAC in the regulation of membrane trafficking during cellular elongation. I also intend to identify and characterise additional effectors regulating vacuolar shape and function. I will identify vacuolar associated proteins, which are under transcriptional control of the phytohormone auxin. The ultimate goal will be to unravel the mechanistic contribution of the respective candidates to changes in vacuolar occupancy and subsequent root growth regulation. Altogether, this work will very likely identify novel components involved in vacuolar morphogenesis and the control of root growth. Accordingly, my work could reveal molecular switches that control the rate of vesicle trafficking towards the vacuole, defining cellular elongation rates in plants.
Publikationen
Project staff
Jonathan Ferreira Da Silva Santos
Jonathan Ferreira Da Silva Santos MSc.
Project Leader
01.12.2019 - 30.11.2022