Deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in the localization of organelar proteins as well as the complex plant-insect-pathogen interactions

• Grant number: 16/14016-4
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Márcio de Castro Silva Filho
• Grantee: Thais Paula de Souza
• Home Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50275-9 - Deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in the localization of organelar proteins as well as the complex plant-insect-pathogen interactions, AP.BIOEN.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/17464-0 - Spodptera frugiperda control by CRISPR/Cas9, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Over the last two decades our laboratory has been involved with research and higher education training on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms related to protein subcelular localization, using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as on the characterization of the complex plant-insect-pathogen interactions. Regarding the intracelular protein trafficking, we've been working on the identification and characterization of the protein import specificity into their respective subcellular compartiments, mainly mitochondria and chloroplasts. We've been able to identify dual-targeted (DT) proteins and also to describe for the first ime a post transcriptional mechanisms in plants based on an alternative translation initiation, capable of determining the differential localization of a protein in Arabidopsis. In addition, we also performed evolutionary studies with respect to DT proteins and its conservation among plants. Our interest on plant-insect-pathogen interactions is related to the bioenergy crop, sugarcane, mainly on the identification and characterization of plant genes involved with the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis) response as well as with opportunistic fungi asociated with this interaction. We are also particularly interested on the insect adaptation mechanisms, which allow them to overcome the plant defense barriers. In this Thematic Project we plan to deeply advance on the elucidation of both research areas of interest within the lab, from original subprojects that will contribute to a better understanding of these two key areas of plant cell biology (AU)