NUCLEAR DYNAMICS OF AUTOPHAGY IN PLANT IMMUNITY

Descrizione del progetto

Collegare il nucleo all’autofagia nella difesa vegetale

L’autofagia è un importante meccanismo di rinnovamento della cellula che rimuove i componenti cellulari danneggiati o ridondanti negli eucarioti. Si tratta di un meccanismo di difesa delle piante contro gli agenti patogeni e potrebbe aprire nuove vie al miglioramento della resistenza delle colture alle malattie. In fase iniziale, la ricerca sull’autofagia vegetale ha evidenziato i meccanismi e i bersagli citoplasmatici. Tuttavia, l’attenzione si è recentemente spostata verso la degradazione dei componenti nucleari e la regolazione epigenetica dell’autofagia nei lieviti e nei mammiferi. Il progetto NUCLAGY, finanziato dall’UE, si basa sulle scoperte dei ricercatori secondo le quali diverse isoforme della proteina 8 coinvolta nell’autofagia (ATG8) nel nucleo dell’Arabidopsis sono localizzabili per specifici componenti nucleari. Il progetto individuerà interattomi ATG8 nucleari in condizioni fisiologiche e patologiche tramite immunoprecipitazione per affinità e analisi spettometrica di massa. Si prevede che la caratterizzazione degli interattori possa rivelare nuovi regolatori e bersagli nucleari per l’autofagia, con implicazioni nella difesa vegetale e il miglioramento dei raccolti.

Obiettivo

Autophagy is a major degradation and renewal system that controls cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation in eukaryotes. Emerging evidence indicates that autophagy is an integral part of the plant’s defence against pathogens and thus, a promising target to improve disease resistance in crops. Research on plant autophagy has primarily focused on cytoplasmic targets and mechanisms, yet the degradation of nuclear components (nucleophagy) and the epigenetic regulation of autophagy have recently received growing attention in yeast and mammalian systems. Whether nuclear events are of similar importance for plant autophagy is unknown and therefore, the major question to be addressed in this project. The proposed research builds on my key finding that several isoforms of the Arabidopsis core autophagy protein 8 (ATG8) localize to distinct nuclear compartments. I aim to identify the nuclear ATG8 interactomes at normal and virus-induced conditions by affinity-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis. Candidate interactors will be functionally analysed for their potential role as transcriptional/epigenetic regulators, cargo receptors, and nucleophagic substrates in response to Cauliflower mosaic virus and Cabbage leaf curl virus. I will also investigate how these pathogens intersect with nuclear functions to manipulate cytoplasmic events of autophagy during infection. The proposed project will be carried out at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences under supervision of Prof. Daniel Hofius, a leading scientist and expert in plant autophagy and immunity. Hence, the project provides an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience to autophagy, while the host lab will benefit from my strong expertise in plant virology and epigenetics. Together, this synergistic effort will reveal fundamental insights into the nuclear dynamics of autophagy in plant immunity, and uncover novel autophagic mechanisms for crop improvement.