Project Details
Projekt
Coevolution of the LEUNIG and SEUSS transcriptional regulators and their role in land plant sexual reproduction
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Annette Becker
Subject Area
Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Evolution and Systematics of Plants and Fungi
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 431732981
Land plant evolution has been characterized by frequent whole genome duplications (WGDs) coupled with dynamic changes in gene expression patterns and protein domain structures of transcription factors and co-regulators. This interplay between genomic expansion, rewiring of gene regulatory networks, and the emergence of novel gene functions is thought to be a driving force behind the origin of new traits. The sexual reproductive systems found in land plants offer fascinating insights into molecular mechanisms of innovations such as seed plant ovules or angiosperm carpels. Within our research unit ICIPS, we propose to continue an extensive study on the concerted molecular evolution of two transcriptional coregulators: LEUNIG (LUG) and SEUSS (SEU). As protein dimers, these proteins are involved in diverse developmental processes within flowering plants, likely through interactions with transcription factors and histone modifiers. Intriguingly, homologs of SEU have also been shown to function as osmotic stress sensors, linking drought stress responses to developmental regulation. In the first phase of our ICIPS project, we made significant progress by demonstrating that LUG and SEU homologs are present in all land plant lineages and documented their ability for dimerization and coevolution throughout land plants. Additionally, we established prerequisites for functional studies and initiated large-scale protein interaction screens to unravel the complex regulatory networks involving LUG and SEU homologs. In the second ICIPS phase, our primary objectives are threefold: firstly, we aim to characterize the functional diversity and conservation of LUG and SEU homologs across land plants by analyzing the mutants obtained in phase one; secondly, we plan to investigate the coevolutionary relationships between LUG and SEU and their interacting partners at the domain level; finally, we will delve into understanding how shifts in protein binding lead to drought responses mediated by SEU during reproductive development. Through these comprehensive approaches, we aim to address fundamental questions regarding the coevolutionary history of LUG and SEU corepressors and their recruitment as transcriptional regulators in flowering plants like Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, we participate in two collaborative projects with all other ICIPS groups, exploring the molecular evolution of land plant sperm cells and gaining comprehensive insights into the molecular mechanisms governing transmitting tract development in angiosperms, which involve extensive patterning and cell wall modification processes. These research projects have the potential to expand our understanding of the evolution of plants and their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
DFG Programme
Research Units
