Analysis of the heat stress transcription factors network of Arabidopsis thaliana

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Pascal von Koskull-Döring
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie der Pflanzen
• Förderung: Förderung von 2004 bis 2009
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 5435214

The complexity of the plant stress response system correlates with an unusual multiplicity of regulatory proteins. Genome analysis revealed a unique complexity of the plant heat stress transcription factor (Hsf) family with 21 members in Arabidopsis. After first period basal characterization of all 21 Hsfs in respect to functional motifs for their activator potential (AHA motifs), their localization (NLS, NES) and oligomerization with each other (HR-A/B) as well as their expression, we will concentrate our work in the second period of this project on detailed characterization of selected Hsfs or Hsf combinations with respect to their interactions with promoters in the Arabidopsis genome, to their cooperation, to the role of coregulators and to their relevance as part of the stress-regulated network in planta. We will mainly concentrate on selected Hsfs with the following main aspects of the experimental program: 1. Investigations on the interactions of individual Hsfs as well as Hsf combinations with their target promoters of heat stress, house-keeping and developmental genes. 2. Concise analysis of selected transgenic plants with altered Hsf expression patterns as a result of T-DNA insertion or RNAi knock-down. Few lines with Hsf overexpression will be generated and analyzed as well. 3. Identification and functional characterization of potential coregulators of Hsfs including HAC1/CBP and components of the transcription machinery.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen