STUDYING THE ROLES OF MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES (MAPK) IN PLANT DEVELOPMENT

DIEGO L WENGIER; JORGE P MUSCHIETTI

Buenos Aires

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2017

A main question in developmental biology is how cells make decisions.These decisions are based on determinants that cells inheritfrom its precursor, molecular dialogues with neighboring cells andsignals that cells perceive from its environment. The signal transductioncascade of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) is akey component in the integration of signals that determine cell identityand terminal fate. For this reason, ensuring specific responsesbetween cues and responses is of vital importance for the normaldevelopment of the organism. An ideal model to study the integrationof MAPK signals and development in plants is the cellular lineagethat generates stomata in Arabidopsis. Stomas are the valvesthat control gas exchange in the epidermis and their precursorshave the ability to tune the development program to information fromsurrounding cells and the environment. Using stomatal developmentas context, we found candidate proteins and genes that would participatein ensuring the generation of specific responses to MAPKactivation. Preliminary results suggest that these candidates may beinvolved in developmental processes other than stoma formation.Here we present different strategies to 1) identify processes in whichthe MAPK cascade transduces information necessary for the normalformation of organs and patterns; 2) determine the mechanismsthat plant cells use to ensure specificity between signals and theirresponses; 3) establish MAPK signaling study models that haveminimal genetic redundancy and have agronomic potential such as tomato.Keyword