Global analysis of transcriptional regulatory networks in retrograde signaling

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Klaus F.X. Mayer
• Subject Area: Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
• Term: from 2007 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 29017492

Retrograde signaling results in changes in the expression of nuclear genes. Multiple signaling pathways and multiple levels of transcriptional regulation in the nucleus contribute to the complexity of retrograde signaling. Based on experimental transcriptomic data generated in the research team the project aims to (i) identify plastid signaling relevant expression profiles; (ii) identify the direct nuclear target genes of the different pathways of plastid-to-nucleus signaling and their secondary transcriptional effects and to subdivide these genes into distinct functional transcriptional modules (transcriptional networks); (iii) characterize the overlaps, hierarchies and interfaces between the different types of retrograde signaling; and (iv) reconstruct retrograde events and identify retrograde signaling signatures in complex expression profiles. This includes bioinformatic analyses of transcription profiles along with in silico analysis of shared and differential promoters. This will enable to discriminate between direct and more indirect effects in plastid signaling. Starting from groups of co-regulated genes (regulons) under retrograde control and their corresponding orthologous promoter groups, (v) conserved promoter elements will be identified to enable the isolation of transcription factors by the partners in the framework of the research team. In the long-term, we aim at getting detailed molecular insight into composition, architecture and interfaces of sub- and meta-networks that are associated with retrograde signaling.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 804: Retrograde Signalling in Plants