- INTERACTION OF PHYTOHORMONE SIGNALING PATHWAYS Candidate: The candidate's long-term career goal is to become a principal investigator in an academic setting, studying the interaction networks involved in phytohormone response. During the training period, she will learn biochemical research approaches to complement her graduate applied agricultural and post- doctoral molecular genetic research. Training Environment: Rice University provides an ideal training environment because of its quality research and intimate setting. Dr. Bonnie Bartel, the mentor for this project, is a leader in Arabidopsis research. Further, she is an active mentor who devotes the majority of her time to her research and her postdocs and students. Research: The long-term goal of this project is to enhance understanding of the signaling network that connects the phytohormones auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), and ethylene. The dual-specificity protein phosphatase, IBR5, the subject of this proposal, is a novel point of interaction between auxin, ABA, and ethylene signal transduction networks. Several interconnected approaches will use IBR5 to gain greater understanding of the relationship among these phytohormones. Firstly, IBR5-interacting proteins will be identified (Aim 1);these may include substrates and regulators of the IBR5 phosphatase. Additionally, second-site ibr5 modifiers will be analyzed (Aim 2) to determine whether sensitivity to auxin, ABA, and ethylene can be separated, or if they are interconnected in inseparable ways. Identification of defective genes in these modifiers (Aim 3) will allow molecular elucidation of interactions between these phytohormone pathways. These studies will contribute to understanding of which signaling components are shared among these three pathways and which are not shared, and will identify additional nodes in the phytohormone signaling network. In addition to expanding our basic knowledge, a detailed understanding of these three phytohormones, involved in growth responses, stress tolerance, and fruit ripening, may provide insight for the eventual improvement of plants of agricultural or medicinal importance. For instance, determining how to increase stress tolerance (ABA perception) without altering growth characteristics (auxin perception) or ripening (ethylene perception) could be key to adapting plants to high stress areas (i.e., areas of low rainfall or saline soils).

Public Health Relevance

- INTERACTION OF PHYTOHORMONE SIGNALING PATHWAYS Auxin, abscisic acid, and ethylene are three plant hormones controlling many aspects of growth and development, such as growth responses, stress tolerance, and fruit ripening. Understanding of the signaling interactions between theses phytohormones, in addition to contributing to the general knowledge of how these hormones act, may provide insight for the eventual improvement of agriculturally- and medicinally-important plants. For instance, determining how to increase stress tolerance (ABA perception) without altering growth characteristics (auxin perception) or ripening (ethylene perception) could be key to adapting crops to high stress areas (i.e., areas of low rainfall or saline soils).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Transition Award (R00)
Project #
5R00GM089987-04
Application #
8306724
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Program Officer
Maas, Stefan
Project Start
2010-01-15
Project End
2014-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$245,682
Indirect Cost
$56,696
Name
Washington University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
068552207
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Korasick, David A; Chatterjee, Srirupa; Tonelli, Marco et al. (2015) Defining a two-pronged structural model for PB1 (Phox/Bem1p) domain interaction in plant auxin responses. J Biol Chem 290:12868-78
Korasick, David A; Jez, Joseph M; Strader, Lucia C (2015) Refining the nuclear auxin response pathway through structural biology. Curr Opin Plant Biol 27:22-8
Thole, J M; Strader, L C (2015) Next-generation sequencing as a tool to quickly identify causative EMS-generated mutations. Plant Signal Behav 10:e1000167
Michniewicz, Marta; Frick, Elizabeth M; Strader, Lucia C (2015) Gateway-compatible tissue-specific vectors for plant transformation. BMC Res Notes 8:63
Enders, Tara A; Oh, Sookyung; Yang, Zhenbiao et al. (2015) Genome Sequencing of Arabidopsis abp1-5 Reveals Second-Site Mutations That May Affect Phenotypes. Plant Cell 27:1820-6
Enders, Tara A; Strader, Lucia C (2015) Auxin activity: Past, present, and future. Am J Bot 102:180-96
Thole, Julie M; Beisner, Erin R; Liu, James et al. (2014) Abscisic acid regulates root elongation through the activities of auxin and ethylene in Arabidopsis thaliana. G3 (Bethesda) 4:1259-74
Korasick, David A; Westfall, Corey S; Lee, Soon Goo et al. (2014) Molecular basis for AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR protein interaction and the control of auxin response repression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:5427-32
Strader, Lucia C; Nemhauser, Jennifer L (2013) Auxin 2012: a rich mea ho'oulu. Development 140:1153-7
Korasick, David A; Enders, Tara A; Strader, Lucia C (2013) Auxin biosynthesis and storage forms. J Exp Bot 64:2541-55

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