A Systems Approach To Study Redox Regulation Of Functions Of
Photosynthetic Organisms
How do plants maintain the balance between essential and destructive redox
reactions?
Oxidation and reduction (redox) reactions -- which transfer energy via the
loss and gain of electrons -- play key roles in regulating many cellular
processes in all organisms. At the same time, redox reactions can have
damaging effects when they affect the wrong molecules. As a result, cells
have evolved a variety of responses to maintain the balance between
essential and destructive redox reactions.
In particular, plants, algae and cyanobacteria rely on a redox chain
reaction for photosynthesis, the process that converts water, carbon
dioxide and sunlight into carbohydrates and oxygen. Over the course of
biogeological time, therefore, cyanobacteria have dramatically increased
the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere.
To survive under such profoundly altered conditions, cyanobacteria and
plants have evolved elaborate protective and regulatory networks, both at
the genetic and metabolic levels. A central goal of this FIBR project is
to unravel the networks that help maintain redox balance in cyanobacteria
and plants.
The researchers will initially focus on the cyanobacterium Synechocystis
6803, which has a completely sequenced genome that can easily be
manipulated. Despite the detailed inventory of the genes and proteins from
Synechocystis, scientists still don't understand how the complex functions
of this organism are organized.
The expertise of the project team spans molecular genetics, biochemistry,
proteomics, computational biology, systems engineering and other
disciplines. The team has worked with well-established model systems in
cyanobacteria, flowering plants and mosses, so they will work to apply the
insights gained from Synechocystis to the plant Arabidopsis and the moss
Physcomitrella. Furthermore, the team's approach will highlight how these
processes were conserved during the evolution of land plants.
Total estimated funding through September 2009: $5 million.
Lead principal investigator:
Participating Researchers:
-
Ralph S. Quatrano, Bijoy K. Ghosh, Rajeev Aurora, Victoria L. May,
Washington University
- Kenneth D, Belanger, Colgate University
- Rajeev Aurora, St. Louis University
- Richard D. Smith, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories
- Yukako Hihara, Saitama University (Japan)
Media contacts:
-
Tony Fitzpatrick, Washington University, 314-935-5272,
tony_fitzpatrick@wustl.edu
Helpful web sites:
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