Project R-1431

Signal transduction and oxidative stress in Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to toxic concentrations of cadmium and/or copper. (Research)

Heavy metals are becoming more and more important as abiotic stress factors for all living organisms because of their use in (agro)industry and consecutively their environmental dispersion. Reduced biomass production is often observed in crops/plants growing on metal-enriched soils. Therefore, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of metal toxicity is of primary interest. To get a better insight in the underlying cellular and molucelar processes involved in metal toxicity ans signal transduction mechanisms, the following research topics will be studied. 1. Kinetic study on the interplay between (a) the ROS (reactive oxygen species) signature and (b) signal transduction components(MAPKinases, Ca-dependent kinases, jasmonates) in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings (root and leaves) immediately after exposure to several Cd or Cu concentrations. 2. Molecular regulations mechanisms of gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings after exposure to different Cd or Cu concentrations. 3. Regulation and signal transduction of cellular responses in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings after exposure to both metals in a multipollution context.

01 January 2009 - 31 December 2012