Back to search

GNBIO-Grunnleggende næringsrettet bioteknologi

Molecular and functional studies of the WAVE-like regulatory protein complex in Arabidopsis thaliana

Awarded: NOK 5.8 mill.

The recent years, much attention has been directed towards the mechanisms that regulate the actin cytoskeleton in eukaryotic organisms. In mammalian cells, the ARP2/3 protein complex and its' regulators, WASP and WAVE, are central activators of actin nucl eation and polymerisation, leading to the production of a highly branched meshwork of actin filaments necessary for cell movement and morphogenesis. WAVE activity is regulated by a protein complex consisting of the proteins Nap/HEM, PIR121/Sra-1, Abi and HSPC300/BRK1. We have identified Arabidopsis homologues of Nap (NAPP) and PIR121 (PIRP), and found that both proteins are necessary for proper organisation of the actin cytoskeleton (Brembu et al., Plant Cell 2004). Recently, we have also discovered two s mall gene families encoding putative homologues of WAVE and Abi. The main objective of this project is to understand the roles and mechanisms of the WAVE regulatory complex in Arabidopsis, focusing on the putative WAVE and Abi families. Polarised growth a nd cell morphogenesis plays important roles in plant development and affect multiple properties including economically important traits as pollination, cell morphology, physical defence structures ("hair"). Due to the role of actin in intracellular transp ort we might also expect to understand more about cell wall deposition ("wood formation") and intracellular trafficking from these studies.

Funding scheme:

GNBIO-Grunnleggende næringsrettet bioteknologi