Project description
Controlling stomatal movement during plant rehydration
Stomata are openings on plant leaves that allow CO2 for photosynthesis and can lead to water loss. Guard cells regulate them. During a drought, for instance, abscisic acid (ABA) closes the stomata to conserve water, while light prompts them to open. After re-watering, Arabidopsis stomata reopen quickly, a process associated with increased cytosolic calcium levels and improved regulation. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the StARK project will explore how increased cytosolic calcium concentration affects soil rehydration responses and the roles of ABA catabolism and granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) degradation in stomatal movement under varying water conditions. Using Arabidopsis plants with fluorescence biosensors and knockout mutants, the research will shed light on the interactions between these pathways and help develop crops with greater water-use efficiency.
Objective
In terrestrial plants, small openings on the leaf surface, called stomata, allow CO2 to diffuse in for photosynthesis but also lead to water loss. Each pore is flanked by a pair of guard cells (GC). Regulation of stomatal aperture is key for optimization of plant water usage and productivity. During drought, the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) induces stomatal closure to minimize water loss. Instead, starch breakdown in GC enables rapid stomatal opening in response to light. ABA regulates enzymes involved in starch degradation under osmotic stress, suggesting crosstalk between ABA signaling and starch metabolism. Soil rewatering after a period of water withdrawal rapidly induces stomatal opening in Arabidopsis leaves. Remarkably, I found that it also increases the cytosolic concentration of calcium ions (hereafter referred to as calcium). Calcium is a key second messenger in all organisms. Since ABA- and light-induced stomatal movement depend on cytosolic calcium dynamics, I hypothesize this calcium concentration increase contributes to stomatal regulation under fluctuating water conditions. I designed the StARK (Starch and ABA in Rehydration Kinetics) project, which will: 1) investigate the role of cytosolic calcium concentration increase upon soil rehydration, 2) determine the impact of ABA catabolism and GC starch degradation on stomatal movement under fluctuating water conditions, and 3) uncover crosstalk between these pathways. Arabidopsis plants expressing fluorescence biosensors and knockout mutants in ABA catabolism and GC starch degradation enzymes will be used. StARK will advance our understanding of how plants optimize water usage. This knowledge will contribute to the development of crops with enhanced water use efficiency and productivity.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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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.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors biosensors
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins enzymes
- natural sciences biological sciences botany
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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)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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