Specificities of plasma membrane-associated nanoclusters involved in cell elongation (D02)

• Subject Area: Plant Cell and Developmental Biology ; Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics ; Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology ; Biophysics ; Plant Physiology
• Term: since 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 232631280

Brassinosteroids (BR) and Phytosulfokines (PSK) regulate root cell elongation. We revealed the existence of specific BR and PSK perceiving complexes in the membrane that promote this response and developed a computational model that describes the involved processes. We aim to elucidate whether the BR and PSK perceiving complexes act within the same or different PM nanoclusters and interference with the nanocluster has functional consequences. Our cellular modelling knowledge will be integrated into an agent-based computational spatiotemporal representation of the whole Arabidopsis root. This should enable the deciphering of specificity coding in root elongation growth.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1101: Molecular Encoding of Specificity in Plant Processes
• Applicant Institution: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Klaus Harter; Professorin Dr. Ursula Kummer; Professor Dr. Alfred J. Meixner; Privatdozent Dr. Frank Schleifenbaum, until 12/2017