Area:
Botany Biology, Biochemistry
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High-probability grants
According to our matching algorithm, Robert M. Larkin is the likely recipient of the following grants.
Years |
Recipients |
Code |
Title / Keywords |
Matching score |
2005 — 2009 |
Larkin, Robert |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Plastid-to-Nucleus Signaling Pathways @ Michigan State University
Plants are sessile organisms that use solar energy to fuel their growth and development. The process plants use to convert solar energy into biologically useful forms of energy is called photosynthesis. Being immobile, plants must adapt to the ever-changing environment. To survive extremes in environmental variation, photosynthesis must be especially malleable and tightly controlled. Photosynthesis and much of the process of plant metabolism are performed in specialized cellular compartments called plastids. For plants to integrate fluctuating environmental signals with their intrinsic developmental programs, it is essential that plastids send information on the status of photosynthesis and other plastid-localized metabolism to other cellular compartments. Plastid signals regulate photosynthesis largely by controlling gene expression in the nucleus, the compartment of the plant cell that contains most of the plant genes. The goal of the proposed work is to identify and characterize the plastid signals and the plastid-to-nucleus signaling mechanisms that plants use to regulate the expression of nuclear genes active in photosynthesis.
This project will explore plastid-to-nucleus signaling that occurs during the development of chloroplasts, a specialized type of plastid that carries out photosynthesis. Previous studies indicate that at least two signaling pathways send information from plastids to the nucleus during the process of chloroplast development. Accumulation of a particular precursor of chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to harvest solar energy for photosynthesis, is a signal that regulates one of these pathways. However, the mechanism by which chlorophyll precursor accumulation within plastids is communicated to other cellular compartments is not understood. The two main objectives of this project are (1) to thoroughly characterize the role of GUN4, a recently-discovered chlorophyll precursor-binding protein, in plastid-to-nucleus signaling and the regulation of chlorophyll synthesis; and (2) to identify additional plastid signals and components of plastid-to-nucleus signaling pathways. The results from this work are expected to help us understand how plastid signals regulate the expression of nuclear genes with functions related to photosynthesis.
Broader educational and agricultural impact of the proposed work Because plastid development and function have a dramatic impact on the expression of many nuclear genes that encode proteins active in photosynthesis, the information generated by these experiments will begin to fill a significant gap in our understanding of plant growth and development and may be useful for rational genetic engineering of agronomically significant plants. Additionally, this project will provide training for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scientists. The results generated from this project will enhance the teaching activities of the project leader. This project will also contribute to the broad dissemination of knowledge at local, national, and international scientific meetings.
|
0.915 |
2010 — 2015 |
Larkin, Robert |
N/AActivity Code Description: No activity code was retrieved: click on the grant title for more information |
The Gun201 Gene Family, a Novel Regulator of Chloroplast Biogenesis and Development @ Michigan State University
A considerable amount of plant metabolism occurs within compartments of plant cells known as chloroplasts. This chloroplast-localized metabolism includes photosynthesis, the metabolism that converts solar energy into chemical energy and reduces carbon dioxide to carbohydrate. Photosynthesis underpins agriculture and indeed life on earth because this process drives the growth, development, and reproduction of plants. Chloroplast development and function is driven by many varied signals and interactions between distinct subcellular compartments of plants, but significant gaps remain in our knowledge of this process. This project will include the study of a small gene family that makes redundant contributions to processes that promote chloroplast development and function. The project will use an interdisciplinary approach that emphasizes genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The expected outcome is not only an understanding of the full contribution of this gene family to chloroplast development and function, but also the discovery of the particular biochemical reactions supported by this gene family. We expect that these findings will contribute significantly to the understanding of chloroplast development and function and to the integration of these processes with the development of entire plants. Because of the central role of the chloroplast to the growth, development, and reproduction of plants, these findings are expected to contribute solutions for significant agronomic issues such as tolerance to particular environmental stresses and the production of biofuels. In addition to providing these significant conceptual advances for plant biology, the proposed work will contribute to the career development of the next generation of plant biologists by providing laboratory training for graduate students and postdoctoral research associates.
|
0.915 |