Circadian and environmental regulation of chloroplasts

Abstract: Photosynthesis within chloroplasts captures solar energy to fuel plant growth and reproduction. There are circadian rhythms of photosynthesis and circadian regulation increases plant productivity (Dodd et al. Science 2005). However, there is limited knowledge of how chloroplasts are regulated by the circadian oscillator. To understand this, we are investigating the nature of the cellular mechanisms that integrate circadian timing information with other environmental cues to regulate processes within chloroplasts. We have shown that in Arabidopsis, a subset of chloroplast-encoded photosynthesis genes are controlled by a nuclear-encoded regulators of chloroplast transcription (Noordally et al. Science 2013). We are also investigating how the chloroplast genome is regulated in response to light and temperature conditions (e.g. Belbin et al. New Phytol. 2017). This is providing insights into the evolution of signalling pathways associated with chloroplasts and photosynthesis (Atkins & Dodd Curr Op. Plant Biol. 2014).

Host: Seth Davis