2010 Arabidopsis - AFGN Collaborative Project

An exemplary calcium signaling network in plant abiotic stress responses

Project Aims

The proposed project aims to perform a systems analysis of the mechanisms and function of a central calcium-decoding signaling network from Arabidopsis thaliana comprising of protein kinases (CIPKs), which interact with calcium sensor proteins (CBLs). In general, this project is focused on the functional characterization of this elaborate CBL-CIPK interaction network and its contribution to integrate and specifically decode various calcium signals during abiotic stress responses. Consequently this project aims to:

  1. explore functional principles of information processing in the signaling network
  2. identify the physiological function and interplay of its components
  3. identify and characterize target proteins and processes of this signaling system

This project will generate insights into calcium signaling mechanisms with relevance for all eukaryotes, provide novel tools for protein-interaction analyses in plants and other organisms and knock-out mutant combinations for different areas in plant biology. Finally, this project will shed light on the molecular basis for plant tolerance to environmental stress factors, providing a platform for generating crops with enhanced stress tolerance and agronomic performance.

Project Participants


Principal Investigators

Post-docs

  • Kenji Hashimoto (UM)
  • Katrin Held (UM)
  • Rainer Waadt (UM)
  • Wenzhi Lan (UCB)
  • Sung Chul Lee (UCB)
  • Yuanqing Jiang (UCB)
  • Liming Zhou (UCB)

Graduate students

  • Maria Drerup (UM)
  • Lena Schmidt (UM)
  • Leonie Steinhorst (UM)
  • Veder Garcia (UCB)

Genes analyzed in this Project:

CBL-type Genes

see linked table for details

CIPK-type Genes

see linked table for details

Project related Publications:

2010

  1. Batistič O, Waadt R, Steinhorst L, Held K, Kudla J. (2010)
    CBL-mediated targeting of CIPKs facilitates decoding of calcium signals emanating from distinct cellular stores.
    Plant Journal, 61, 211-222
    Article

2009

  1. Lee SC, Lan W, Buchanan BB, Luan S. (2009)
    A protein kinase-phosphatase pair interacts with an ion channel to regulate ABA signaling in plant guard cells.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A, 106, 21419-21424
    Article

  2. Luan S, Lan W, Chul Lee S. (2009)
    Potassium nutrition, sodium toxicity, and calcium signaling: connections through the CBL-CIPK network.
    Curr. Opin. Plant Biol., 12(3):339-346
    Article

  3. Chae L, Sudat S, Dudoit S, Zhu T, Luan S. (2009)
    Diverse transcriptional programs associated with environmental stress and hormones in the Arabidopsis receptor-like kinase gene family.
    Mol. Plant, 2, 84-107
    Article

  4. Luan S. (2009)
    The CBL-CIPK network in plant calcium signaling.
    Trends in Plant Science, 14, 37-42
    Article

  5. Luan S. (2009)
    Paradigms and Networks for Intracellular Calcium Signaling in Plant Cells.
    In: Annual Plant Reviews. 33, 163-188
    Article

2008

  1. Batistič O, Sorek N, Schültke S, Yalovsky S, Kudla J. (2008)
    Dual fatty acyl modification determines the localization and plasma membrane targeting of CBL/CIPK Ca2+ signaling complexes.
    Plant Cell, 20, 1346-62
    Article

2007

  1. Cheong Y, Pandey GK, Grant J, Batistič O, Li L, Kim B, Lee S, Kudla J, Luan S. (2007)
    Two Calcineurin B-like calcium sensors, interacting with protein kinase cipk23, regulate leaf transpiration and root potassium uptake in Arabidopsis.
    Plant Journal, 52, 223-239
    Article