| date | | Monday, November 23rd 2009, 17 c.t. |
| location | | G2-104, CeBiTec Building |
| speaker | | Prof. Dr. Bernd Müller-Röber
Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam |
| title | | Gene regulatory networks controlling plant aging and H2O2 homeostasis |
| | | Our lab employs bio-computational, genomic and proteomic tools to study transcription factors (TFs) and the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) they control in photosynthetic organs of higher plants as well as in photosynthetic micro-algae. To facilitate cross-species comparison and phylogenetic analyses of ‘green’ TFs we established the Plant Transcription Factor Database (http://plntfdb.bio.uni-potsdam.de). Our experimental work currently focuses on the analysis of TFs of the so-called NAC family, which regulate various important processes in higher plants, including the tolerance to abiotic stress and organ aging. Data will be presented to highlight some recent discoveries made with respect to the GRNs governed by NAC TFs. I will also present data showing that one previously uncharacterized TF controls cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) homeostasis, possible involving MAP kinase signaling. H2O2 is an important signaling molecule that affects developmental processes in plants but also accumulates under conditions of abiotic stress. |
| host | | Prof. Dr. Karl-Josef Dietz |
