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An understanding at the molecular level of the interpretation of calcium spiking by CCaMK in symbiosis signalling (BIO)

Reference	BBS/E/J/000C0631
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Stephen Bornemann
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	277,562
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	240 months

Abstract

Plants require light, water and certain nutrients for growth - not least nitrogen, which is a key component of fertilisers. Leguminous plants, such as peas and beans, fix their own nitrogen from the atmosphere by forming a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that can perform this remarkable biochemistry. The process by which the bacteria form this relationship with the plant involves a complex series of chemical communications, ultimately leading to a specialised organ called the root nodule. An understanding at the atomic level of the key components of the signalling pathway will help in the long term goal of getting non-legumes to fix their own nitrogen to avoid the need for fertilisers. To this end, we are using a protein structure/function approach to dissect how a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK) is able to be activated by calcium spiking in such as way as to direct gene expression allowing appropriate developmental changes in plant tissues to facilitate symbioses. Kinetic and structural studies will allow key parameters to be defined that can be integrated into a theoretical model with input from biological measurements in plants.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science, Structural Biology
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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