Project

Redefining Cell Cycle Control: MPK4 as a Master Regulator of Cellular Resilience Systems

Code
bof/baf/4y/2025/01/089
Duration
01 January 2025 → 31 December 2026
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Research disciplines
  • Natural sciences
    • Plant biochemistry
    • Plant cell and molecular biology
    • Plant genetics
Keywords
Chemical genetics growth-defense coordination cellular resilience MAPK signaling cell cycle regulation
 
Project description

This research challenges the 50-year CDK-centric cell cycle paradigm by demonstrating MPK4 as an independent master regulator of cellular resilience. Our chemical-inducible MPK4 system enables precise spatiotemporal control, revealing concentration-dependent functional separation: 10μM treatment disrupts cell cycle without affecting stress responses. We will screen 50,000 EMS mutants using innovative chemical-genetic fusion methodology, employ TurboID-AP/MS for dynamic protein interactions, and validate findings across species (moss, tomato, human). This pioneering work establishes "resilience biology" as a new discipline, transforms fundamental understanding of growth-defense coordination, and provides agricultural applications for climate-resistant crops. Expected outcomes include paradigm-shifting discoveries in cell biology, novel biotechnological tools, and comprehensive molecular networks governing eukaryotic survival strategies.