In recent years, proteins that are key players in the plant’s physiology, development and adaptation to environmental cues were identified. The next step is to determine the molecular function of these key players, e.g. how they influence specific processes through their activity in the nucleus, the cytoplasm, at the cell membrane and cell-cell communication.The central question posed by CRC 1101 “Molecular Encoding of Specificity in Plant Processes“ is, how the specificity of biological processes at molecular level is achieved. Encoding can happen at different levels, ranging from structural changes in individual molecules, through the specific assembly of nanoclusters, the intracellular sorting to the systemic distribution of specificity-mediating factors.The realization of this approach is guaranteed by the Center for Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tübingen, the MPI for Developmental Biology Tübingen, the Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, and the Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Hohenheim.The CRC 1101`s research is divided into four linked project areas: (A) “Specificity of subcellular sorting and membrane organization“, (B) “Specificity by developmental regulators“, (C) “RNA-mediated specificity“, (D) “Receptor-mediated specificity“, in which the encoding of specificity in processes that control plant development or enable adaptation to abiotic and biotic environmental factors is investigated.The CRC places particular emphasis on the following issues:• What are the mechanistic principles of the molecules that are responsible for developmental and adaptation processes and that mediate the co-ordination of development and adaptation?• How is the interaction of these molecules regulated and which roles do their intra- and subcellular localization, organization and dynamics play in the process?• How do selected molecules function during the encoding of specificity at nanometric and atomic levels?To address these issues, advanced spectroscopic, light and electron microscopic procedures will be continued to be developed. In combination with other quantitative methods, these technologies will facilitate the recording of quantitative data for the computational modelling and simulation of specificity encoding mechanisms.We intend, in the medium and long term, to be in a position to make precise predictions about the dynamic functioning of specificity-mediating processes in plant development and adaptation. In the long term this should open the possibility of creating novel functional cell properties in plants by means of a synthetic biological approach.On the basis of the established international graduate program “Cellular and Molecular Plant Biology” (GP-ZMBP), the CRC 1101 provides multi-disciplinary instruction, bringing together doctoral students from disciplines ranging from nano-biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology to cell biology, physiology and computational modelling.
DFG Programme
Collaborative Research Centres
International Connection
Switzerland
Current projects
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A01 - Generation of specificity in post-Golgi trafficking
(Project Head
Jürgens, Gerd
)
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A02 - pH in the TGN/EE as specificity determinant in the post-Golgi trafficking
(Project Heads
Kummer, Ursula
;
Schumacher, Karin
)
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A04 - Mechanics of molecular machines involved in plant cytokinesis
(Project Heads
Müller, Sabine
;
Schäffer, Erik
)
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A07 - Specificity of proteasome regulation by tail-anchored transcription factors
(Project Head
Üstün, Suayib
)
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A09 - Spatial and temporal regulation of specific membrane associated processes
(Project Head
Gronnier, Ph.D., Julien
)
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B06 - Molecular Modulation of the WRKY regulatory network of leaf senescence
(Project Head
Zentgraf, Ulrike
)
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B07 - Generating spatial specificity in a dynamic stem cell system
(Project Head
Lohmann, Jan
)
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B08 - Regulatory Specificity of Radial Plant Growth
(Project Head
Greb, Thomas
)
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B09 - Regulatory impact of 14-3-3 proteins on NPH3-like protein function
(Project Head
Oecking, Claudia
)
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B10 - Specificity in root barriers formation
(Project Head
Ragni, Ph.D., Laura
)
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B12 - Molecular specificity of BSK proteins in MAP kinase signaling pathways
(Project Head
Bayer, Martin
)
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C05 - Molecular specificity of ARGONAUTE action in ta-siRNAs biogenesis
(Project Head
Maizel, Alexis
)
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C06 - Specificity in intercellular small RNA mobility
(Project Head
Timmermans, Marja
)
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C08 - Specific manipulation of the plant RNA splicing machinery by geminiviruses
(Project Head
Lozano-Durán, Ph.D., Rosa
)
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C09 - Control of vascular patterning through cell type-specific depletion of miRNAs
(Project Head
Wolf, Sebastian
)
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D02 - Specificities of plasma membrane-associated nanoclusters involved in cell elongation
(Project Heads
Harter, Klaus
;
Kummer, Ursula
;
Meixner, Alfred J.
;
Schleifenbaum, Frank
)
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D03 - BIR-mediated cell death - players, mechanisms, specificities
(Project Head
Kemmerling, Birgit
)
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D06 - Specificity of systemin processing, perception, and signaling
(Project Heads
Schaller, Andreas
;
Stintzi, Annick
)
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D07 - Specificity in (auto)immune signalling by the atypical resistance protein RPW8
(Project Head
Weigel, Ph.D., Detlef
)
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D08 - Elucidating the native function and signalling components of the cell death executioners Bs3 and Bs4C
(Project Heads
Lahaye, Thomas
;
Stehle, Thilo
)
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D09 - Regulation of helper NLR activity and specificity in Arabidopsis
(Project Head
El Kasmi, Farid
)
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D10 - Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase-mediated control of pattern-triggered immunity
(Project Head
Nürnberger, Thorsten
)
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D11 - Evolution of SERK-mediated specificity in development and immunity
(Project Head
Monte, Isabel
)
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Z01 - Central Tasks of the CRC
(Project Head
Harter, Klaus
)
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Z02 - Light and Electron microscopy
(Project Heads
Richter, Sandra
;
Stierhof, York-Dieter
)
Completed projects
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A03 - Selective transport to the lytic vacuole and degradation of membrane proteins
(Project Head
Pimpl, Peter
)
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A05 - The role of the lipid transfer protein AtSFH1 in root hair development
(Project Head
Schaaf, Gabriel
)
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A06 - Specificity of the GET pathway for TA protein insertion in A. thaliana
(Project Head
Grefen, Christopher
)
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A08 - Deciphering the plasma membrane-associated responses to mechanical stress
(Project Head
Stanislas, Ph.D., Thomas
)
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B01 - Function and specificity of BSK family kinases in apical-basal patterning of the early embryo
(Project Head
Bayer, Martin
)
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B02 - From fluctuating developmental signals to stable stem cell behavior
(Project Head
Lohmann, Jan
)
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B03 - The influence of light on the establishment and polarization of leaf primordia
(Project Head
Wenkel, Stephan
)
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B04 - The analysis of the antagonistic function of FT and TFL1, and the role of 14-3-3 proteins during flower induction
(Project Heads
Oecking, Claudia
;
Schmid, Markus
)
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B05 - H2O2 perception and signal transduction: the specific role of AHK5
(Project Heads
Harter, Klaus
;
Stehle, Thilo
)
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B11 - Functional specificity of two closely related bHLH transcription factors during stomatal development in grasses
(Project Head
Raissig, Michael
)
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C01 - Regulation of microRNA biogenesis and activity
(Project Head
Weigel, Ph.D., Detlef
)
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C02 - The molecular mechanisms of RACK1-triggered miRNA biogenesis and their function during biotic and abiotic stress
(Project Head
Laubinger, Sascha
)
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C03 - Molecular integration of light- and sugar-regulated alternative splicing
(Project Head
Wachter, Ph.D., Andreas
)
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C04 - The regulation of flower induction by temperature-dependent splicing
(Project Head
Schmid, Markus
)
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C07 - miRNAs as systemic specificity determinants in autoregulation of symbiosis
(Project Head
Markmann, Katharina
)
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D01 - Activation of LRR receptor kinases through common co-receptor proteins
(Project Head
Hothorn, Ph.D., Michael
)
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D04 - Plant receptor kinases as targets for microbial effectors
(Project Heads
Nürnberger, Thorsten
;
Stehle, Thilo
)
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D05 - Molecular specificity of signal input and signal output in plant receptor kinases
(Project Head
Felix, Georg
)