SGER: Improved quantification of Hsp101 tissue content and discovery of natural study populations differing in Hsp101 expression.

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop a new system for applying the tools of genomic research that have been developed in the model system of the Mouse-eared Cress (Arabidopsis) to gain a better understanding of the interplay between mechanisms of drought tolerance and mechanisms of heat tolerance. Work with laboratory strains has demonstrated that genotypes exhibiting increased production of heat shock protein 101 (Hsp101) over their whole lifetime also show reduced root growth. Non-functional mutants of Hsp101 demonstrate that this reduced root growth is a direct effect of Hsp101 production. Thus the increased root mass necessary for tolerating drought stress is prevented if plants protect themselves from heat stress by producing increased quantities of Hsp101. This project will set the stage for large-scale combined field and laboratory studies of this phenomenon through two initiatives. First, the development of a more precise mass-production method of assaying for Hsp101 production. Second, the use of this method in screening of genotypes of Arabidopsis collected from diverse locations within its native range that differ in the extent of heat and drought stress. This project will be the first to explore the consequences of Hsp101 expression variation on survival and reproduction in the natural environment. The results will help in the understanding of the evolution of diverse physiological stress compensation mechanisms in natural populations. Broader impacts include valuable information for breeding heat and drought tolerant agricultural crops. This is especially important as the climate warms and rainfall patterns shift. At least six undergraduates will receive individual research training on this project, three of them women. Two graduate students will also be involved, one of them a member of a minority population. All are U.S. citizens. This work will also be used in Tonsor's outreach work through the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden.