Project Details
Projekt
Using Physcomitrella patens to reveal key players in salt resistance and elucidate the complex regulatory mechanisms involved in cellular salt metabolism
Applicant
Dr. Andreas Busch
Subject Area
Plant Physiology
Term
from 2010 to 2012
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 170006304
The moss Physcomitrella patens shows a high resilience towards salinity. We aim to exploit this capacity to identify key players in salt resistance and to gain deeper insights into the regulation and coordination of different Na+ exclusion mechanisms. Using a yeast complementation assay we will screen Physcomitrella cDNA for genes that are able to confer salt resistance. Identified genes will be further analyzed in Physcomitrella by generating knock-out lines and subject them to a broad phenotypic characterization. In the second part of the project we will take advantage of Physcomitrella’s complement of different ion-transporters and Na+ exclusion pathways. We focus on (i) the role of SOS1 and HKT1;1 in Physcomitrella (ii) the role of calcineurin B-like proteins and their interacting kinases in the coordination of the different Na+ transporters and (iii) the post-transcriptional regulation of the Na+- ATPase PpENA1 in Physcomitrella. Knock-out mutants for different genes of interest will be generated in Physcomitrella and their phenotypic characterization will include a broad range of physiological methods. Additionally different strategies will be employed to reveal potential regulatory protein-protein interactions.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
Denmark
