Reprogramming of translation in response to abiotic stress from model plant to crop

• Applicants: Dr. Sotirios Fragkostefanakis, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Enrico Schleiff; Professor Dr. Stefan Simm
• Subject Area: Plant Physiology
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 418142664

We have clear indication that the initial reactions and even the intermediate response of plants to abiotic stresses follows a general mechanism. Our preliminary studies uncovered first components likely involved in these early responses to heat and microgravity stress. According to our observations, SnRK1 and TOR signaling are candidates for a regulatory point of convergence between different abiotic stress responses. Further elucidation of the processes downstream of SnRK1 and TOR will provide important insights into principles of early stress response reactions generally occurring in plants. Our long term goal is to describe the common molecular mechanisms occurring early during abiotic stress response in plants with respect to different plant species and different stresses. Further, we aim to define the point of divergence of the different pathways in response to different abiotic stresses. In the first funding period, we will focus on the two stresses for which tools are well established in the laboratory. This includes the natural occurring heat stress and the human enforced stress microgravity. The information obtained will be important for the definition of the individual stress response paths and at the same time allow the formulation of general stress response mechanisms upstream of the stress specific reactions. Our specific aims are:A) Elucidation of translational reprogramming as initial reaction and intermediate res-ponse to heat and microgravity stress by probing the ribosome assembled mRNAs in very short time windows after stress application in S. lycopersicum and A. thaliana to define the timing and characteristics of proteome reprogramming B) Elucidation of differential splicing as initial reaction and intermediate response to heat stress by mRNA sequencing and proteome analysis in S. lycopersicum and A. thaliana to define the functional reprogramming of the proteomeC) Analysis of phosphorylation changes as initial reaction and intermediate response to heat stress and microgravity in S. lycopersicum and A. thaliana to define and compare the signaling pathways involved.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants