BBMB Research Seminars

November 29, 2007
Sue Gibson
University of Minnesota

"How do soluble sugar levels help regulate plant development, carbon partitioning and gene expression?"

1414 Molecular Biology Buidling
4:10 p.m.

Abstract:

The levels of soluble sugars, such as glucose and sucrose, have been shown to regulate a diverse array of plant developmental and metabolic processes. In addition, soluble sugar levels influence the expression levels of hundreds of genes. In this sense, sugars can be thought of as acting almost like phytohormones. To identify processes that are sugar regulated and to better understand the molecular mechanisms by which sugar-response occurs, we have conducted mutant screens to identify Arabidopsis lines that are defective in sugar response. Characterization of these lines has resulted in identification of several loci not previously known to be involved in sugar response, including loci predicted to encode a protein kinase, a RING finger protein and a histone deacetylase. In the future, a better understanding of sugar-response pathways may allow manipulation of the developmental and metabolic processes controlled via these pathways, with one long-term goal being the alteration of carbon partitioning.