9808398 Zhu Osmotic stress caused by drought and salinity has been a major selective force in plant evolution and an important factor influencing plant growth and development. Understanding the mechanisms by which plants detect and respond to osmotic stress is of critical importance not only for aspects of basic plant biology but also for efforts to improve crop performance under adverse environmental conditions. Dr. Zhu proposes to unravel the mechanism osmotic stress signal transduction by studying several mutations in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. These mutations cause aberrant regulation of stress responsive genes. Detailed genetic, molecular, biochemical and physiological characterization of the mutants will be carried out to establish the specific functions of the wild type genes in plant tolerance to drought and salinity. One of the genes will be genetically mapped at high resolution in order to have it cloned. The proposed studies will enhance our understanding of how plant cells respond to osmotic stress and improve our ability to develop rational strategies for breeding stress-resistant crops.
