Identification and characterisation of novel components in glucosinolate biosynthesis and regulation

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Tamara Gigolashvili
• Subject Area: Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 184159099

The six members of subgroup 12 of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor family (MYB51, MYB34, MYB122, MYB28, MYB29 and MYB76) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of the glucosinolate biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this project we aim to get new insights about the regulation of these transcription factors and to unravel the unknown upstream components and interacting partners of MYBs. To this end, (i) transcriptional control of subgroup 12 MYB factors by upstream regulators like SLIM1, Dof1.1 and IQD1 will be studied, (ii) their posttranslational regulation via phosphorylation/dephosphorylation (MPK3, MPK 6, MKP1 and PTP1) will be analysed, (iii) proteins interacting with these MYB factors both in yeast two hybrid and in planta will be studied in detail. In addition, we aim to study novel transporters involved in the intra- and inter-cellular transport of glucosinolates (GS) or GS biosynthetic precursors. It is aimed to (iv) characterize the novel chloroplastidic cPAPST1 transporter of 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'- phosphosulfate (PAPS), (v) elucidate the role of cPAPST1, cPAPST2 and of APS kinases, (APK1, APK2, APK3 and APK4) in the partitioning of PAPS and PAP (adenosine 3‘,5‘-bisphosphate) between chloroplasts and the cytosol, and, (vi) identify and characterise novel long distance transporters of aliphatic and indolic GS.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants