Project description:RNA-binding proteins are increasingly recognized as regulatory component of post-transcriptional gene expression. RBPs interact with mRNAs via RNA-binding domains and these interactions affect RNA availability for translation, RNA stability and turn-over thus affecting both RNA and protein expression essential for developmental and stimulus specific responses. Here we investigate the effect of severe drought stress on the RNA-binding proteome to gain insights into the mechanisms that govern drought stress responses at the systems level
Project description:In plants, drought stress is a major growth limiting factor causing cell water loss through open stomata. In this study, guard cell-specific transcripts from drought-stressed Arabidopsis plants were analyzed and a down-regulation of β-amylase 1 (BAM1) was found. In previous studies, BAM1 was shown to be involved in stomatal starch degradation under ambient conditions. Impaired starch breakdown of bam1 mutant plants was accompanied by decreased stomatal opening. Here, we show that drought tolerance of bam1 mutant plants is improved as compared to wild type controls. Microarray-analysis of stomata-specific transcripts from bam1 mutant plants revealed a significant down-regulation of genes encoding aquaporins, auxin- and ethylene-responsive factors and cell-wall modifying enzymes. This expression pattern suggests that reduced water-uptake and limited cell wall extension are associated with the closed state of stomata of bam1 mutant plants. Together these data suggest that regulation of stomata-specific starch turnover is important for adapting stomata opening to environmental needs and its breeding manipulation may result in drought tolerant crop plants. Stress induced gene expression in Arabidopsis leaves and Stomata was measured after exposure to single drought stress. Drought stress conditions were analysed for both, Col-0 plants and a T-DNA insertion line for β-amylase 1. Six week old plants were treated with drought stress (5 days) according to Prasch and Sonnewald, 2013. Two to three biological replicates have been hybridized for each treatment.
Project description:Rapid, reversible induction of crassulacean acid metabolism in conjunction with pronounced reconfiguration of carbon metabolism enables T. triangulare to survive cycles of severe drought. RNA was extracted from leaves of Talinum triangulare plants (3 biological replicates) after plants were grown under 0, 4, 9 and 12 days of drought as well as after 2 days of re-watering. Paired-end samples were used for purposes of creating a de novo transcriptome assembly.