Research Focus
Plants are susceptible to a great variety of abiotic and biotic stress factors that influence their growth and development. To cope with these short term environmental changes, plants have evolved complex signaling networks to initiate appropiate tissue and developmental stage depedent responses to different stimuli. Secondary messengers such as Ca2+ and ROS as well as plant hormones have essential roles in these signaling pathways.
Our group offers a bouquet of experimental approaches and methods to analyse various signaling pathways and their crosstalk with each other. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding how plants sense and interact with their environment. In our projects we combine classical molecular and biochemical methods with high-end fluorescent microscopy, Omics and big data analysis. For more applied goals we compare the model plant A. thaliana with the crop plants barley and potato.
Calcium-dependent Signaling in Crops
(Dr. Fatima Chigri, Sabarna Bhattacharyya)
Ca2+ signals have been shown to occur in response to many environmental and developmental stimuli. Changes in the concentration of free calcium [Ca2+] are recognized by a tool kit of Ca2+ sensor proteins that confer the signal into a cellular response via interaction with various target proteins; thus regulating many different cellular processes.
In the crop plant barley we are analysing the Ca2+-dependent gene expression in response to oxidative stress.
Adaptation of potato to drought and flooding stress
(Prof. Dr. Ute C. Vothknecht)
Potato is an important staple food crop. It also has important economic relevance as forage crop and industrial commodity. Potato originates from the climatically cool highland regions of South America and is therefore particularly sensitive to heat.
As partner in the large EU-wide research consortium ADAPT (Accelerated Development of multiple-stress tolerant Potato), we have investigate the adaptation mechanisms of potato plants to heat and drought.
This work will now be continued with the aim to identify specific drought markers and to visualize them in planta.
Role of epitranscriptomic modification (m6A) in drought stress (Yasira Shoaib)
In recent years, post-transcriptional RNA modifications have emerged as important ‘epitranscriptomic’ regulatory networks. Among these, m6A is the most abundant, dynamic and reversible internal mRNA modification. It is installed and removed by methyltransferases and demethylases also known as ‘writers’ and ‘erasers’, respectively, and recognized by RNA binding ‘reader’ proteins.
In this DAAD funded project we analyse the role of a gene, m6A-DRG, involved in regulating m6A mRNA modification that was shown to be increased upon drought stress.
Identification of potential green light receptors that affect plant development (Dr. Susann Frank)
Various photoreceptors such as phytochromes (red/far red), phototropins, cryptochromes and LOV domain containing F-box proteins (blue), and UVR8 are involved in light signaling in land plants. These receptors influence the whole development of plants like germination, deetiolation, shade avoidance reactions and flowering time. Additionally, they are involved in the circadian clock and short time reactions like stomata opening.
These receptors cover a wide range of the spectrum but leave a gap in the green light part. There is evidence for green light sensing in plants but a potential green light sensor is so far not identified. In our search for additional receptors, we elucidate a potential green light sensor (GRS) that might close the gap.