Project description
Mechanistic role of target of rapamycin in shade-induced pathogen susceptibility
A low red to far-red light ratio (low R:FR) signals to plants that neighbours are blocking their light, inducing elongation growth via the growth hormone auxin. It also causes glucose accumulation, accelerating pathogen development, while decreasing defence hormone signalling. Thus, plant growth in shade increases plants’ risk to pathogens. The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase may orchestrate these responses to low R:FR. TOR regulates growth and defence, and its activity is promoted by auxin and glucose. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ‘The disease facTOR’ project will study low R:FR impacts on TOR signalling via genetic and chemical studies of TOR, auxin, glucose and defence hormones.
Objective
In close proximity, plants can sense each others presence via a decrease in the red to far-red light ratio (low R:FR) in the nearby surroundings. Low R:FR perception by phytochrome photoreceptors triggers strong and rapid elongation growth allowing plants to grow taller than their neighbors and reach better lit areas. This process, known as shade avoidance is mostly orchestrated by the growth hormone auxin. However, although low R:FR promotes elongation growth, it compromises plant defense against pathogens by dampening defense hormone signaling; a phenomenon referred to as shade-induced susceptibility. Furthermore, I recently found that plants exposed to low R:FR conditions accumulate glucose, which accelerates pathogen development in plants tissue. Yet, the involvement of primary metabolism in regulating the shade-induced susceptibility remains to be explored.
In eukaryotes, the TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) kinase is a master growth regulator integrating the cell energy and carbohydrate status to regulate growth and defense responses. In plants, TOR activity is promoted by auxin and glucose, both strongly induced by low R:FR. Interestingly, I also found TOR gene expression to be induced by low R:FR in a recent RNA-seq study. In this project, I will study if and how low R:FR regulates TOR signaling to promote growth at the expense of defence. I will use genetic and chemical approaches to (I) identify the spatiotemporal dynamics of TOR gene expression and TOR protein activity in response to shade in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, (II) identify the dependency of shade-induced auxin levels and sugar accumulation on TOR dynamics and (III) characterize potential links between TOR signaling and defense hormone signaling. The gained insights will be instrumental for understanding how plants use shade signals to balance growth and defense responses and will help to engineer new pathogen-resilient crop varieties, which can be grown optimally at high densities.
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 biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
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.
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
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.
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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
79098 Freiburg
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.