The regulatory effects of the transcription factor AtbZIP63 on the expression of target genes in complemented Arabidopsis thaliana lines.

• Grant number: 24/05876-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Agreement: BBSRC, UKRI
• Principal Investigator: Michel Georges Albert Vincentz
• Grantee: João Pedro Borges da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética (CBMEG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/25710-4 - The role of sugar-responsive bZIP transcription factors in the regulation of the circadian oscillator of Arabidopsis, AP.TEM

Abstract

Plants rely on sophisticated molecular pathways to regulate the rate of energy accumulation and consumption. One form of energy storage is starch, a glucose polymer that allows for maintaining the necessary energy balance for robust growth during the night period when photosynthesis is inactive. Thus, it can be noted how controlling starch degradation in response to environmental stimuli is a fundamental resource for plant survival. Under energy stress conditions, the SnRK1 kinase signaling pathway is activated to induce the mobilization of energy reserves and thereby adjust plant growth under limiting conditions. SnRK1 can phosphorylate the bZIP-type transcription factor (TF), AtbZIP63, a process that results in the reprogramming of gene expression associated with reserve catabolism to support plant metabolism during periods of scarcity. This project aims to explore in greater detail the regulatory role of the bZIP63 transcription factor on its target genes according to its stability throughout the diel cycle.