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SUMMARY:Elucidating stress signalling response pathways in Arabidopsis and
  crops - Marc Knight\, Durham University
DTSTART:20141113T130000Z
DTEND:20141113T140000Z
UID:TALK54570@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:38889
DESCRIPTION:My group is interested in the pathways leading from stress per
 ception\, through signal transduction\, to stress gene expression and alte
 red tolerance\, as well as in the fundamental basis of stress tolerance it
 self.  Our most recent work has focussed upon three areas (1) the role of 
 calcium in mediating appropriate patterns of stress gene expression\; (2) 
 the mechanisms of drought tolerance in Sorghum bicolor\; (3) investigating
  genetic components of freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis and Arctic plant 
 species. In the first project\, we have taken a transcriptomic approach no
 t only to define the specific transcription factor systems that are regula
 ted by calcium\, but also to begin to understand how calcium encodes infor
 mation that specifies the correct pattern of gene expression. We are now f
 ocussing attention of the photosynthetic organelle\, the chloroplast\, and
  I will present new work on this. In the second project\, we have focussed
  upon Sorghum bicolor with the aim of uncovering potentially novel drought
 -tolerance pathways/mechanisms. This species is highly drought-adapted com
 pared to other crops\, and extremely drought tolerant “stay-green” Sor
 ghum lines have been isolated\, and the genetic loci responsible have been
  mapped by our collaborators. We have undertaken a transcriptomic approach
  to describe the fundamental processes underlying the stay-green phenomeno
 n to help us understand why these lines are particularly drought tolerant 
 and allow us to exploit this information. Finally\, in the last project\, 
 we have used classical forward genetic screens to identify news genes/path
 ways involved in freezing stress tolerance in Arabidopsis\, which I will d
 iscuss in my presentation. Related to this our work on Arctic species\, on
 ly recently initiated\, involves studying plants whose freezing tolerance 
 is profound i.e. plants from the Arctic where a temperature of -40oC is no
 t unusual in winter.  By cloning and functionally testing alleles of genes
  known to be key genetic determinants in freezing tolerance\, we hope to s
 tart to understand how the proteins involved have evolved to enhance freez
 ing tolerance in these species. Understanding how such proteins from Arcti
 c plants are able to mediate much greater levels of freezing tolerance wil
 l allow us to breed more freezing-tolerant crops.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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