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Natural sciences
- Computational transcriptomics and epigenomics
- Structural bioinformatics and computational proteomics
- Plant cell and molecular biology
- Plant genetics
- Plant morphology, anatomy and physiology
Over the last decades, ethylene has demonstrated to be a key player in several plant growth and developmental processes. Recently, its direct precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) has grown in importance due to its recently demonstrated ethylene-independent effects. In both cases, ACC homeostasis is crucial to regulate ACC bioavailability, involving its transport and metabolism through conjugation. Despite the importance in plant physiology, the mechanisms underlying these processes still remain elusive. In this project, we propose to combine computational and empirical approaches in order to obtain a complete and detailed perspective of ACC-related processes, taking into account the evolutionary history of the pathway and the vast quantity of information provided by -omics technologies. Based on this synergistic strategy, key players in ACC transport and conjugation will be detected in silico and functionally characterized. The unambiguous implication of these novel transporters and conjugators in ACC metabolism will shed light on the regulation of ACC homeostasis. Moreover, these advances will not only result in a more profound knowledge of ACC physiology but it will also change the current understanding of ethylene biology.