Function of the Arabidopsis arginine demethylases in cellular heat responses (B09)

• Subject Area: Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry ; Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550938463

Post-translational protein methylation plays a key role in controlling the function and interactions of modified proteins. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of arginine methylation are not well understood, and specific erasers that remove methyl groups from arginine have yet to be identified and characterised in plants. We recently identified Arabidopsis RDM1 as an arginine demethylase regulated by heat. This project aims to elucidate the molecular function of RDM1 in heat-triggered cellular responses, characterise its biochemical activity, and identify its interactors and substrates.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1756: Chemical and Biological Principles of Cellular Trigger Responses
• Applicant Institution: Universität Konstanz
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Jörg Steffen Hartig; Professorin Dr. Erika Isono