Control of the DNA stress cell checkpoint in plants / DNA stress control in Arabidopsis thaliana

Recently, the WEE1 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana was identified as a crucial cell cycle regulator. Upon DNA stress, induced WEE1 expression results into a cell cycle arrest, by which damaged DNA can be repaired. We wish to identify the signal transduction pathway inducing WEE1. Secondarily, we aim to identify other genes that contribute to the activation of the DNA stress checkpoint, and to combine all biological data into a mathematical model.
- Due to their sendentary life style, plants are unavoidably in close contact with agents that target their genome integrity. To counteract these stresses, DNA replication checkpoints perform a quality check by sensing and repairing damaged. Through a combination of high-throughput methods, including transcriptomic analyses, and mutogenesis screens, we aim to uncover the complete pathways that arrest the plant cell cycle upon DNA stress.