Project description:Our aim is to identify circadian transcripts that are co-regulated with [Ca2+]cyt, with the eventual goal of identifying genetic regulators and targets for circadian oscillations of [Ca2+]cyt. We have identified two conditions in which [Ca2+]cyt behaves differently to other circadian outputs. 1. Treatment of plants with nicotinamide, a metabolic inhibitor of ADPR cyclase, abolishes the circadian oscillations of [Ca 2+]cyt. However, leaf movement, CCA1, LHY, TOC1 and CAB transcript abundance and CAB promoter activity are all rhythmic albeit with a longer period (Dodd et al., 2007). 2. The toc1-1 mutant, which shortens the circadian period of all other rhythms tested, has no effect on the period of [Ca2+]cyt oscillations (Xu et al., 2007). We will measure the circadian regulation of transcript abundance in wild type (C24), toc1-1 and nicotinamide (C24)-treated plants. Method: Wild type (C24) and toc1-1 seeds were sown on 1/2MS 0.8% agar plates and imbibed at 4 C for 48 hours. Seedlings were grown in LD cycles of 12hL:12hD at 19 C for 11 days to entrain the oscillator. Following transfer to LL at dawn on the 12th day, 50% of the wild type seedlings were dosed with 50 mM nicotinamide every 2 hours over the entire course of the experiment. Wild type, toc1-1 and nicotinamide-treated seedlings (approx. 100 for each sample, excluding roots) were harvested at 4 hour intervals from 49 to 93 hours in LL (12 time points covering the entire third and fourth circadian cycles). Two independent replicates of the whole experiment will be hybridised. 72 samples were used in this experiment.
Project description:Our aim is to identify circadian transcripts that are co-regulated with [Ca2+]cyt, with the eventual goal of identifying genetic regulators and targets for circadian oscillations of [Ca2+]cyt. We have identified two conditions in which [Ca2+]cyt behaves differently to other circadian outputs. 1. Treatment of plants with nicotinamide, a metabolic inhibitor of ADPR cyclase, abolishes the circadian oscillations of [Ca 2+]cyt. However, leaf movement, CCA1, LHY, TOC1 and CAB transcript abundance and CAB promoter activity are all rhythmic albeit with a longer period (Dodd et al., 2007). 2. The toc1-1 mutant, which shortens the circadian period of all other rhythms tested, has no effect on the period of [Ca2+]cyt oscillations (Xu et al., 2007). We will measure the circadian regulation of transcript abundance in wild type (C24), toc1-1 and nicotinamide (C24)-treated plants. Method: Wild type (C24) and toc1-1 seeds were sown on 1/2MS 0.8% agar plates and imbibed at 4 C for 48 hours. Seedlings were grown in LD cycles of 12hL:12hD at 19 C for 11 days to entrain the oscillator. Following transfer to LL at dawn on the 12th day, 50% of the wild type seedlings were dosed with 50 mM nicotinamide every 2 hours over the entire course of the experiment. Wild type, toc1-1 and nicotinamide-treated seedlings (approx. 100 for each sample, excluding roots) were harvested at 4 hour intervals from 49 to 93 hours in LL (12 time points covering the entire third and fourth circadian cycles). Two independent replicates of the whole experiment will be hybridised.
Project description:Plants are sessile organisms that have acquired highly plastic developmental strategies to adapt to the environment. Among these processes, the floral transition is essential to ensure reproductive success and is finely regulated by several internal and external genetic networks. The photoperiodic pathway, which controls the plant response to day length, is one of the most important pathways controlling flowering. In Arabidopsis photoperiodic flowering, CONSTANS (CO) is the central gene activating the expression of the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in the leaves at the end of a long day. CO expression is strongly regulated by the circadian clock. However, to date, no evidence has been reported regarding a feedback loop from the photoperiod pathway back to the circadian clock. Using transcriptional networks, we have identified relevant network motifs regulating the interplay between the circadian clock and the photoperiod pathway. Gene expression, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments and phenotypic analysis allowed us to elucidate the role of CO over the circadian clock. Plants with altered CO expression showed a different internal clock period, measured by daily rhythmic movements in the leaves. We show that CO is able to activate key genes related to the circadian clock, such as CCA1, LHY, PRR5 and GI, at the end of a long day by binding to specific sites on their promoters. Moreover, a significant number of PRR5 repressed target genes are upregulated by CO, and this could explain the phase transition promoted by CO. The CO-PRR5 complex interacts with the bZIP transcription factor HY5 and helps to localize the complex in the promoters of clock genes. Our results indicate that there may be a feedback loop in which CO communicates back to the circadian clock, feeding seasonal information to the circadian system.
Project description:Plants are sessile organisms that have acquired highly plastic developmental strategies to adapt to the environment. Among these processes, the floral transition is essential to ensure reproductive success and is finely regulated by several internal and external genetic networks. The photoperiodic pathway, which controls the plant response to day length, is one of the most important pathways controlling flowering. In Arabidopsis photoperiodic flowering, CONSTANS (CO) is the central gene activating the expression of the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in the leaves at the end of a long day. CO expression is strongly regulated by the circadian clock. However, to date, no evidence has been reported regarding a feedback loop from the photoperiod pathway back to the circadian clock. Using transcriptional networks, we have identified relevant network motifs regulating the interplay between the circadian clock and the photoperiod pathway. Gene expression, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments and phenotypic analysis allowed us to elucidate the role of CO over the circadian clock. Plants with altered CO expression showed a different internal clock period, measured by daily rhythmic movements in the leaves. We show that CO is able to activate key genes related to the circadian clock, such as CCA1, LHY, PRR5 and GI, at the end of a long day by binding to specific sites on their promoters. Moreover, a significant number of PRR5 repressed target genes are upregulated by CO, and this could explain the phase transition promoted by CO. The CO-PRR5 complex interacts with the bZIP transcription factor HY5 and helps to localize the complex in the promoters of clock genes. Our results indicate that there may be a feedback loop in which CO communicates back to the circadian clock, feeding seasonal information to the circadian system.
Project description:Calcium acts as a universal second messenger to regulate gene expression in both developmental processes and responses to environmental stresses. Previous studies showed that a number of stimuli can induce calcium increases in the cytoplasm and nucleus, independently. However, the gene expression network deciphering [Ca2+]cyt and/or [Ca2+]nuc signaling pathway remain obscure. Using transgenic Arabidopsis containing a fusion protein, comprising rat parvalbumin (PV) with either a nuclear export sequence (PV-NES) or a nuclear localization sequence (NLS-PV), to selectively buffer the cytosolic or nucleosolic calcium, we identified the [Ca2+]cyt- or /and [Ca2+]nuc-regulated ABA- and MeJA-responsible genes with the Arabidopsis Genome Oligo array.