Co-ordinate regulation of sugar, ethylene and hypoxia responses at the levels of transcription and metabolism by the SnRK1 kinase in Arabidopsis

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Peter Geigenberger; Professor Dr. Csaba Koncz
• Subject Area: Plant Physiology ; Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2012 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 218697737

AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPKs) play a central role in the regulation of carbon metabolism, energy homeostasis, sugar and stress signalling, and transcription in eukaryotes. Higher plant AMPK orthologs, named Snf1-related kinases (SnRK1), are proposed to perform analogous functions but so far little is know about their exact roles in modulation of metabolic, stress, hormonal and developmental pathways. The proposed collaborative project aims at joining expertise in physiological and metabolomics studies with genetic, biochemical and transcriptomics approaches in order to dissect precisely major functions of SnRK1 in cellular regulation. Ultimate goal of the project is to identify the mechanisms by which SnRK1 controls starch metabolism and stress responses to hypoxia, and to link these to emerging roles of SnRK1 in the control of genome-wide transcription and ethylene/sugar and ABA hormone signalling pathways.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants