THE PLASTOGLOBULE LIPID DROPLETS OF CHLOROPLASTS ARE SUGGESTED TO BE A MAJOR ORCHESTRATOR OF ADAPTIVE RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL PERTURBATIONS, THUS REPRESENTING A SIGNIFICANT, UNTAPPED TARGET FOR ENHANCEMENT OF CROP RESILIENCE. THEIR PHYSICAL CONNECTION TO THE PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY-ACTIVE THYLAKOID MEMBRANE AND DYNAMIC MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO STRESSES, STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THEY FACILITATE REMODELING OF THE THYLAKOID MEMBRANE THROUGH RAPID AND CAREFULLY REGULATED EXCHANGE OF LIPIDS AND PROTEINS BETWEEN THE TWO SUB-COMPARTMENTS. THE RAPID AND DRAMATIC SWELLING OF THE PLASTOGLOBULE IN RESPONSE TO STRESS INDICATES A HIGH LIPID FLUX FROM THYLAKOID TO PLASTOGLOBULE, YET NOTHING IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MOLECULAR EVENTS THAT LEAD TO SUCH SUBSTANTIAL AND RAPID SWELLING. IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH KNOWLEDGE, EVEN BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE PLASTOGLOBULE REMAIN HYPOTHETICAL AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES TO USE THE PLASTOGLOBULE FOR ENHANCED CROP RESILIENCE REMAIN OBSCURED.IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROPOSAL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE ZEA MAYS PLASTOGLOBULE IS USED TO FACILITATE THYLAKOID MEMBRANE REMODELING BY DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF MOLECULAR CHANGES IN PLASTOGLOBULE AND THYLAKOID UNDER WATER-DEPRIVATION AND HEAT STRESSES. THE PROTEOME, PHOSPHOPROTEOME, AND LIPIDOME OF PLASTOGLOBULES AND THYLAKOIDS WILL BE MEASURED AT TIME POINTS DURING ENTRY INTO AND RECOVERY FROM BOTH STRESSES. TO CORRELATE MOLECULAR CHANGES WITH ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES, ELECTRON MICROGRAPHS WILL BE PRODUCED AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC AND REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) MEASUREMENTS WILL BE TAKEN. THIS RESEARCH WILL IDENTIFY METABOLIC/PROTEIN RESPONSES UNDER WATER-DEPRIVATION AND HEAT STRESSES, PRESENTING NOVEL TARGETS FOR IMPROVED MAIZE VARIETIES, AND DEVELOP A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE STUDIES OF PLASTOGLOBULES IN CROPS.