Functional analysis of the SBP-domain protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Applicant: Dr. Peter Huijser
• Subject Area: Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2001 to 2005
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5352232

The SBP-domain represents a novel DNA-binding domain shared by a small family of putative transcription factors only found in plants. In Arabidopsis, SBP-domain proteins are encoded by a structural heterogeneous gene family comprising 16 members known as SPL (SBP-Like) genes. These SPL genes show high similarity within the conserved SBP-box but limited sequence conservation outside this box. Furthermore, their temporal and spatial expression patterns suggest roles in different developmental pathways. However, these roles remain largely unknown. To obtain information concerning their roles, it is proposed to screen for spl-mutant alleles or to generate transgenetic knockout lines. To allow their integration in regulatory networks, it is proposed to screen for interacting proteins as well as for possible target genes. Since SBP-domain proteins represent a new class of proteins, it is proposed to determine the protein structure of a selected Arabidopsis SBP-domain protein.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants