Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Plant adaptation to light under stress conditions: role of CIN-TCP transcription factors |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Yadukrishnan P, Indian Institute Of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2025 |
Contact info : | yadukrishprem@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | Light is a crucial environmental signal that influences plant growth and development. Plants have evolved mechanisms to perceive changes in light quality and intensity, allowing them to adjust their growth under varying light conditions. Under optimum growth conditions, plants elongate their stems in search of better light availability. However, how light-regulated elongation responses perform under challenging environmental conditions like abiotic stress is poorly understood. The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR (TCP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that act as a regulatory hub coordinating developmental, environmental, and hormonal signals. Members of the CINCINNATI-like TCP (CIN-TCP) subclade promote elongation of embryonic stem (hypocotyl) by directly activating auxin biosynthesis genes in a light-dependent manner. Emerging evidence indicates that CIN-TCPs play a role in abiotic stress responses. Under abiotic stress, plants induce the synthesis of the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) to mediate adaptive changes in their physiology and development. Several TCP genes show altered expression in response to abiotic stress and exogenous ABA in many species. However, direct molecular-level evidence linking abiotic stress/ABA signaling pathways with CIN-TCPs remains elusive. This project hypothesizes that CIN-TCPs integrate stress responses and light-regulated elongation responses to optimize plant growth in environments where poor light and abiotic stress prevail together. Preliminary observations suggest that hypocotyl elongation under light deprivation is significantly compromised by abiotic stress, possibly acting through CIN-TCPs. The study proposes studying the detailed role of CIN-TCP proteins in stress-induced fine-tuning of plant growth under suboptimal light conditions using genetic, biochemical, and molecular approaches. |
Organizations involved