Final Activity Report Summary - TOR IN PLANTS (Plant cell growth: Study of the TOR dependent signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana)
The continuous increase in world population demands an increase in the agriculture yield to fulfil the food requirements. Thus limitation in food supply is one of the main threats in developing countries. This fact highlights the importance of identifying the limiting factors in biomass production at the molecular level to develop strategies aimed for obtaining new cultivars with increased production, and, at the same time, increase our basic knowledge on the mechanisms determining plant cell growth. Investigation on the molecular basis of cell growth is in its early stages. Progress on yeast and animal cells has determined that the protein kinase TOR has a central role in this process.
The present project has studied, at the molecular level, the complex problem of elucidating TOR dependent signalling pathway in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, that is, to obtain new information on the proteins that physically interact with AtTOR, its downstream targets and the physiological signals that AtTOR is able to integrate. For this purpose we have performed different strategies, both in the yeast system (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and in plants. We have screened for plant genes able to suppress the lethality of yeast mutant strains defective in essential components of TOR dependent signalling, finding two genes, previously unrelated to TOR signalling.
At this moment we are further confirming its relation to TOR dependent signalling by proteomic means. In parallel we have unveiled an intriguing link between TOR signalling and pH homeostasis. Our studies are rendering profitable information about the regulation of plant cell growth and on limiting factors for biomass production.
The present project has studied, at the molecular level, the complex problem of elucidating TOR dependent signalling pathway in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, that is, to obtain new information on the proteins that physically interact with AtTOR, its downstream targets and the physiological signals that AtTOR is able to integrate. For this purpose we have performed different strategies, both in the yeast system (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and in plants. We have screened for plant genes able to suppress the lethality of yeast mutant strains defective in essential components of TOR dependent signalling, finding two genes, previously unrelated to TOR signalling.
At this moment we are further confirming its relation to TOR dependent signalling by proteomic means. In parallel we have unveiled an intriguing link between TOR signalling and pH homeostasis. Our studies are rendering profitable information about the regulation of plant cell growth and on limiting factors for biomass production.