Figuring out a molecular thermometer in plants
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East Anglia
Department Name: Graduate Office
Abstract
The project will exploit our extensive understanding of the regulation of a gene (FLC) that encodes a brake to flowering. This gene ensures plants need to overwinter before transitioning to reproductive development. Cold switches off and epigenetically silences FLC expression. We have shown that cold-induced antisense transcripts from FLC (which we named COOLAIR) are an important part of the epigenetic silencing mechanism. An RNA-DNA hybrid (an R-loop), limiting COOLAIR transcription, has been identified in the COOLAIR promoter. The project will investigate regulators of R-loop function with the goal of defining a molecular thermosensor. Understanding from this project is likely to be widely relevant to epigenetic regulation and environmental sensing across a wide range of organisms.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Caroline Dean (Primary Supervisor) | |
Jade Doughty (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BB/M011216/1 | 30/09/2015 | 31/03/2024 | |||
1776935 | Studentship | BB/M011216/1 | 30/09/2016 | 31/12/2018 | Jade Doughty |