Webb Group: The mechanisms of circadian gating of signalling
Supervisor
Professor Alex Webb
Brief Summary
Life on a rotating planet means that there are times of day when it is advantageous to respond to extracellular stimulation, and times when a less of a response might have advantage. For example, we discovered that plants are more sensitive to cold during the day than at night. This makes sense because it usually gets cold at night, but cold during the day indicates winter is coming. We want to use this daily modulation of signalling as a tool to identify new pathways by which the circadian clock regulates plant physiology.
Importance of Research
We have new data demonstrating that the circadian clock regulates how ABA regulates stomata. Circadian clocks regulate nearly every aspect of plant biology, though we do not often know how or why. One of the great mysteries is how the cycles of oscillations of the transcription factors that make up the circadian clock are converted into physiological responses. This project investigates the basic biology of circadian regulation, and aims to identify under discovered pathways. The goal is to make a breakthrough in basic biology.
Project Summary
To identify the basic pathways by which the circadian oscillator regulates signalling we will investigate the mechanisms by which the circadian clock modulates ABA signalling. We will investigate both ABA induced stomatal closure and ABA-induced changes in gene expression. We
have identified a new mutant that affects the ability of the circadian clock to regulate ABA-induced stomatal closure. We will investigate the mechanisms by which this circadian gating gene brings about alterations in the signalling pathway that brings about stomatal closure. We have identified major components regulated by the circadian oscillator that are likely to contribute to circadian gating. We now wish to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how the circadian clock modulates ABA signalling.
What will the successful application do?
The student will use a range of approaches including bioinformatics, proteomics, transcriptomics, physiology and mutant analyses to investigate the circadian modulation of ABA signalling.
Training Provided
The student will receive training in circadian biology, ABA signalling, image analysis, molecular genetics, transcriptiomics or proteomics.