A grant has been awarded to Dr. G. Eric Schaller of the University of New Hampshire to study signaling by ethylene receptors in the plant Arabidopsis. The gas ethylene is a plant hormone that induces a variety of responses including ripening and senescence. Plants perceive ethylene through use of specific proteins known as ethylene receptors. These receptors are capable of directly binding ethylene and then signaling the cell to undertake the stimulation of genes that mediate the ripening and senescence responses. This project will elucidate the mechanism of signaling that occurs as a consequence of ethylene detection. Hormone signaling requires the interaction of receptors with additional proteins. Therefore, this project will use established and novel biochemical approaches to identify proteins that interact with the ethylene receptors. In addition, this project will use genetic approaches to determine how the ethylene receptors signal to these proteins.
The regulation of ethylene signaling in plants has broad commercial application. For example, ethylene is widely used to induce ripening of fruit such as tomato. The interruption of ethylene signaling has been shown to extend the shelf-life of transgenic tomatoes and the vase life of transgenic flowers. Results from the proposed research will benefit society by providing a mechanistic framework for engineering modifications into the early steps of ethylene signaling. Modifications of ethylene sensitivity will enhance our ability to regulate such processes as abscission and fruit-ripening in crops of agronomic importance.
