SCAN:Crossing the bridge: the role of an E3-ubiquitin ligase in the modulation

SCAN Seminar

Title: Crossing the bridge: the role of an E3-ubiquitin ligase in the modulation of abiotic, biotic and root mechanosensing in rice.

Speaker: Tiago Lourenço-Post-Doc

From: Genomics of Plant Stress Laboratory

Abstract:

Plants, as sessile organisms, are subjected to different stresses during their life cycle.. To cope with either abiotic (salt, drought, cold) or biotic (fungi, bacteria) stresses, plants have evolved complex mechanisms to perceive and respond accordingly to the intensity and duration of these adverse environmental conditions. In the last decades, the proteasome has been implicated as an important factor modulating stress response mechanisms. To better understand the involvement of the proteasome in these responses in rice, we are investigating the function of a RING E3-ubiquitin ligase (OsHOS1) through a RNA interference (RNAi) approach. The transgenic plants (RNAi::OsHOS1) showed, under cold stress, a higher expression of cold stress-responsive genes as compared to wild-type plants. In addition, these plants showed a different root morphology when sensing a mechanical barrier. This morphology was correlated to the higher levels of OsRMC (ROOT MEANDER CURLING) expression in transgenic plants. Curiously, the root phenotype of the RNAi::OsHOS1 plants could be reverted by exogenous application of jasmonic acid, a phytohormone highly involved in the biotic stress responses. Evidences of the link between the OsHOS1 and OsRMC and how it can modulate abiotic and biotic stress responses will be shown and discussed.