Final Activity Report Summary - TOR IN PLANTS (Plant cell growth: Study of the TOR dependent signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana)
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.