Objective
Multicellularity in plants and animals arose independently, as reflected in dramatically different signalling mechanism make-ups. Intracellular signalling’s central paradigm in animals is the concept of ‘second messengers’- most prominently cAMP and cGMP. Contrastingly, in plants, cAMP/cGMP are not part of mainstream ideas on signalling.
Our recent, unexpected identification of cAMP and cGMP acting in the canonical signalling for the phytohormone auxin inspired a paradigm-shifting hypothesis that cAMP and cGMP act as largely unappreciated versatile second messengers in multiple plant signalling pathways. This would dramatically expand the modes of plant intracellular signalling, opening possibilities for additional regulations and crosstalks. It would also provide a new means of targeted engineering of signalling outputs, highly relevant for plant biotechnology.
To systematically explore this radical hypothesis, I propose to generate (opto)genetic tools to (i) monitor and (ii) specifically manipulate cellular cAMP/GMP levels. Our vRootchip microfluidics set-up allows us to (iii) survey the plant signalling landscape and identify pathways involving cAMP/GMP further supported by (iv) identification of thus-far elusive cAMP/cGMP targets. As a blueprint for the use of the generated tools and knowledge, we plan (v) to elucidate the role of cGMP in phytohormone jasmonate signalling. Together, these approaches will establish cAMP/cGMP as bona fide second messengers in plants. We provide a rich resource to investigate their involvement in any chosen signalling mechanism or cellular response, while offering tools to manipulate their signalling output for both fundamental discoveries and targeted applications.
This strategy poses considerable intellectual and methodological challenges, but our robust initial results, including functionality of cAMP/cGMP sensors, show a conceptual breakthrough is feasible, dramatically expanding our current view on plant signalling and beyond.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics fluid mechanics microfluidics
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics nucleotides
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3400 Klosterneuburg
Austria
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