Molecular characterization of transcription factors controlling indolic and aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthese in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ulf-Ingo Flügge
• Subject Area: Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Term: from 2006 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 33995634

Glucosinolates belong to an important group of plant secondary metabolites that have protective functions in biotic stress response of plants and that are important anticancerogenic substances for humans. Because the transcriptional control of glucosinolate biosynthetic pathways as well as the accumulation of glucosinolates during plant development and in response to environmental stimuli are only poorly understood, we aim to identify and characterize new patterns of regulation of glucosinolate biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. To this end, (i) novel transcription factors involved in the control of biosynthetic pathways of aliphatic (HAG1 and HAG2) and indolic glucosinolates (HIG1 and HIG2) will be characterized; HAG1/HAG2 and HIG1/HIG2 with so far unknown functions belong to the R2R3-MYB proteins comprising one of the largest families of transcription factors in A. thaliana, (ii) the corresponding target genes constituting aliphatic and indolic glucosinolate biosynthetic pathways will be identified and their coregulation unraveled, (iii) the impact of HIG1/2 and HAG1/2 on the regulation of these biosynthetic pathways during plant development and in response to biotic stimuli will be studied, and (iv) a putative translocator involved in the transport of glucosinolate biosynthetic intermediates will be characterized.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants