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Project 10: Cell-to-cell communication and receptor-like kinase signaling during root development
Promotor: Tom Beeckman, VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University
Co-promotor: Kris Gevaert, VIB Dept. of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University
Keywords: Cell-to-cell communication, receptor-like kinase signaling, phosphoproteomics, root development
Host University: Ghent University
In multicellular organisms, cell-to-cell communication plays a crucial role in patterning, growth and interaction with the environment. For example, a tight control of formative cell divisions to produce tissues and organs and to prevent over-proliferation is crucial for the postembryonic growth and development of plants (Scheres and Benfey, 1999). We recently identified the membrane-associated receptor-like kinase ACR4, which is the first membrane-associated receptor-like kinase to be described in both main and lateral root development and which represents a good candidate for the perception of positional information crucial for formative cell divisions and root architecture (De Smet et al., 2008). In general, temporary and reversible phosphorylation of proteins is probably the most important post-translational modifications with a regulatory function, but still little is known about the substrates of most plant kinases (de la Fuente van Bentem and Hirt, 2007; Kersten et al., 2009). To better understand the ACR4-dependent signaling network in Arabidopsis thaliana root development, we propose to identify the substrates of ACR4 during main and lateral root development. To achieve this goal we will be using mass spectrometry-driven phosphoproteomics. This approach, under different experimental conditions, such as comparing the phosphoproteome of wild-type versus mutant or in the absence versus presence of a ligand, will allow pinpointing the most likely ACR4 substrates (lab of Prof. Kris Gevaert). These putative substrates will be subjected to detailed functional characterization in Arabidopsis thaliana roots, starting with loss-of-function, gain-of-function and expression studies (lab of Prof. Tom Beeckman).
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