Project Details
Projekt Print View

Functional characterization of a novel plastidal thioredoxin and its putative target proteins

Subject Area Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics
Term from 2010 to 2015
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 186875881
 
Thioredoxins (TRX) are small ubiquitous proteins with a redox-active disulfide bridge responsible for the regulation of a broad range of target proteins. We have identified TRX z that represents a novel plastidial TRX essential for autotrophic growth. The Arabidopsis trx z T-DNA knockout mutant displays a specific decrease in the expression of genes that depend on a multi-subunit plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP). We could identify two fructokinase-like proteins (FLP1 and FLP2), members of the pfkB-carbohydrate kinase family, as potential TRX z target proteins. Virus-induced gene silencing of FLPs in N. benthamiana led to a similar repression of PEP-dependent gene transcription as the suppression of TRX z function in Arabidopsis. We hypothesize that TRX z is required for chloroplast transcription possibly serving as a mediator of redox-(light-) and, via its target proteins, other stimuli regulating transcriptional activity in chloroplasts in response to fluctuating environmental conditions. To fully understand the function of TRX z we are planning to use a combination of transgenic, molecular and biochemical approaches. We propose that this will lead to the identification of novel redox regulated processes and thus new insights into redox regulation in plants.
DFG Programme Research Grants
 
 

Additional Information

Textvergrößerung und Kontrastanpassung