Project

Functional-structural analysis of Casein Kinase 2 and SOG1 in response to Al-induced DNA damage and phosphate starvation

Code
3G036020
Duration
01 January 2020 → 31 December 2023
Funding
Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
Research disciplines
  • Natural sciences
    • Cell division
    • Cell growth and development
    • Cell signaling
Keywords
Aluminum toxicity DNA damage SOG1 Casein Kinase 2 Arabidopsis thaliana structural biology
 
Project description

Aluminum (Al) toxicity represents an important limitation to worldwide crop production, occurring in upwards of 50 % of the world’ arable land The most evident symptom and important consequence of Al toxicity is root growth inhibition Additionally, Al influences phosphorus (Pi) availability, eventually resulting in nutritional deficiency in shoots and leaves Recently, we have identified through a chemical genomics screen in Arabidopsis thaliana a compound (nominated C43) that confers Al resistance, being a potential Casein Kinase 2 (CK2) inhibitor Our preliminary data indicate that CK2 grants Al toxicity resistance through phosphorylation of the SOG1 transcription factor, being an essential regulator arresting cell cycle progression in response to DNA damage Strikingly, C43 also grants growth under low Pi conditions, suggesting that Pi-deficiency and Al-toxicity converge via the CK2-SOG1 pathway Within this project, we aim to test this hypothesis through a detailed structural-functional analysis in combination with physiological experiments In particular, the interactions between C43, CK2 and SOG1 will be studies at the biochemical, biophysical and structural level Additionally, the obtained structural data will be correlated with growth experiments under conditions of Al toxicity and Pi depletion