More than defence: primary roles for cyanogenic glucosides. The tropical crop, sorghum, produces toxic cyanide to avoid being eaten by herbivores, but this diverts resources away from growth and reproduction. Using non-toxic sorghum mutants, this project seeks to explain how cyanide production is regulated and enhance agricultural efficiency in the face of climate change.
The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was i ....The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was identified through a transcriptional interaction with a membrane localised bHLHm1 transcription factor. Both bHLHm1 and AMF1 belong to a unique chromosomal regulatory locus common across sequenced dicot plant species.Read moreRead less
Mitochondrial Retrograde Signalling in Plants – New Models and Analytical Approaches. Mitochondria are essential organelles involved in energy production and various metabolic and biosynthetic pathways in plant cells. Signals from mitochondria act to regulate nuclear gene expression to coordinate mitochondrial activity with cellular activity, which is called mitochondrial retrograde signalling (MRS). To date our knowledge of the pathways and components involved in MRS is limited to a single mode ....Mitochondrial Retrograde Signalling in Plants – New Models and Analytical Approaches. Mitochondria are essential organelles involved in energy production and various metabolic and biosynthetic pathways in plant cells. Signals from mitochondria act to regulate nuclear gene expression to coordinate mitochondrial activity with cellular activity, which is called mitochondrial retrograde signalling (MRS). To date our knowledge of the pathways and components involved in MRS is limited to a single model system. This proposal seeks to identify additional MRS pathways, characterise components of these pathways and the signals involved. This new knowledge can be used in translational research as a basis to breed plants with altered stress and growth properties.Read moreRead less
The divergence phenomenon in tree-ring-reconstructed temperatures: global problem or Northern Hemisphere anomaly? Concerns about recent global warming derive from comparisons of current temperatures and past temperatures reconstructed mainly from tree-rings. There is some evidence that tree-rings are becoming less sensitive to temperature at some high-latitude sites. The project will determine the scale and extent of this problem across the Southern Hemisphere.
Functional analysis of novel mitochondrial outer membrane proteins in Arabidopsis. Mitochondria play central roles in the life and death of cells. This project will characterise the functions of proteins on the mitochondrial surface, which mediate signals that define mitochondrial function, providing novel approaches to modify mitochondrial function and plant growth.
Alternative Oxidase to Optimise Plant Growth and Stress Tolerance. Biomass accumulation in plants is the balance of CO2 fixed into carbohydrates through photosynthesis and carbohydrate burned (respired), ~ 50% of fixed CO2, to fuel growth. Plants possess energy conserving and non-conserving respiratory pathways. The alternative energy non-conserving pathway appears wasteful but is necessary for plant tolerance to adverse growth conditions. Our research has achieved modification of the alternativ ....Alternative Oxidase to Optimise Plant Growth and Stress Tolerance. Biomass accumulation in plants is the balance of CO2 fixed into carbohydrates through photosynthesis and carbohydrate burned (respired), ~ 50% of fixed CO2, to fuel growth. Plants possess energy conserving and non-conserving respiratory pathways. The alternative energy non-conserving pathway appears wasteful but is necessary for plant tolerance to adverse growth conditions. Our research has achieved modification of the alternative respiratory pathway that positively impacts plant growth. We will dissect the mechanism(s) of how the alternative respiratory pathway stimulates growth, from a molecular level to whole plant physiology, answering a long-standing question of the role of the alternative respiratory pathway in plant cell biology.Read moreRead less
Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes th ....Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes that regulate flowering and seed production in sorghum in response to changes in temperature and light interactions. These studies will help to develop novel sorghum varieties with desirable characters through plant-breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exce ....Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exceptionally stable and resistant to enzyme digestion. The big question is ?How and why does Nature produce circular proteins?" Increasing our knowledge of why circular proteins have evolved will facilitate their applications in drug design and in the development of novel insecticides.Read moreRead less
Glutathione, a major antioxidant in plants: translocation between tissues and transport within cells. Plants are continually exposed to environmental stress. In agriculture this may include high and low temperature, pathogens, soil toxicity and excess light. The ways in which plants deal with environmental stress influence their productivity. Understanding these mechanisms is an important goal that can contribute to better strategies to manage plant responses to environmental stress in agricultu ....Glutathione, a major antioxidant in plants: translocation between tissues and transport within cells. Plants are continually exposed to environmental stress. In agriculture this may include high and low temperature, pathogens, soil toxicity and excess light. The ways in which plants deal with environmental stress influence their productivity. Understanding these mechanisms is an important goal that can contribute to better strategies to manage plant responses to environmental stress in agricultural species.Read moreRead less
Australia’s native sorghums. This project aims to investigate the biological mechanisms driving the evolution of toxic cyanogenic glucosides by exploiting the natural diversity of Australian wild relatives of the crop sorghum that are adapted to different environments. Wild crop relatives are an important source of traits for improving their cultivated counterparts. Analysing the diversity and evolution of Australia’s 17 native sorghum species will provide new understanding of how plants have ad ....Australia’s native sorghums. This project aims to investigate the biological mechanisms driving the evolution of toxic cyanogenic glucosides by exploiting the natural diversity of Australian wild relatives of the crop sorghum that are adapted to different environments. Wild crop relatives are an important source of traits for improving their cultivated counterparts. Analysing the diversity and evolution of Australia’s 17 native sorghum species will provide new understanding of how plants have adapted to environmental challenges across diverse Australian environments. This should provide significant benefit by providing new resources for plant breeders to produce more climate-resilient crops.Read moreRead less