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Structure/function determination of plant cell-to-cell communication and its role in pathology and stress responses

Reference	BBS/E/J/00000160
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Andrew Maule
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,839,178
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	04/01/2002
End date	31/08/2011
Duration	116 months

Abstract

The Maule lab is pursuing a detailed analysis of components of the cell-to-cell trafficking pathway through plasmodesmata. Plasmodesmata are membrane rich symplastic channels through plant cell walls that regulate the flow of large molecules from cell to cell. These molecules can be transcription factors that control growth and development, small RNAs that regulate defence against pathogens (especially viruses), or the macromolecular structures that are viruses themselves. Hence understanding the nature of plasmodesmata will throw light on diverse areas of plant growth and defence. Indeed, since viruses in plants are retained within the symplastic environment understanding how they exploit plasmodesmata is key to understanding virus disease. Interestingly, some fungi may also use plasmodesmata as doorways to cell invasion. The primary focus of the work is the identification of new plasmodesmal components using proteomics, cell biology and genetics. To date several new families of plasmodesmal proteins have been identified and their role in the control molecular flux established. The challenges are to identify how these proteins are regulated and the nature of the processes that trigger changes in flux, and how these and other plasmodesmal proteins operate in concert to shape plant biology.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	Crop Science, Microbiology, Plant Science
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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