Scientific programme

The scientific programme of proposed COST Action is focused on four major aspects of signalling control of abiotic stress tolerance and production of osmo-protectants in plants. The identified research priorities are centred on complementary expertise allocated to four Working Groups (WGs) that perform coordinated research in specific fields of plant stress biology:

  • WG 1: Functional characterisation of protein kinases involved in abiotic stress signalling.

WG1 will concentrate on understanding the regulatory roles of two major classes of protein kinases, the activities of which are differentially controlled by specific abiotic stress stimuli and the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA).

  • WG 2: Genetic identification of signalling factors controlling ABA, salt, osmotic, drought and cold regulated transcription.

Using Arabidopsis as model organism, many important genes in stress and ABA signaling have been identified. Nonetheless, we are only at the beginning of understanding the complexity of stress signaling pathways as numerous factors are coded by multigene families and implicated in cross-talk with other developmental, defense and hormonal pathways.

  • WG 3: Expression of genes involved in the production of osmo-protectants.

Metabolic responses of higher plants to hyperosmotic stress determine cell survival in an unfavourable environment and thus represent important aspects of stress adaptation. Different sugars, glutamate-derived amino acids, such as proline or amino acids belonging to the aspartate family, and chaperonins are important components of abiotic stress responses and contribute to maintaining cellular homeostasis, redox balance, and detoxification.

  • WG 4: Integrated molecular analysis of the polyamine metabolic pathway in response to abiotic stress.

Drastic changes in plant polyamine (PA) metabolism occur in response to abiotic stresses, but the biological relevance of PA accumulation under stress is so far largely unknown. WG4 aims at integrated analysis of functional relationships among genes involved in the PA metabolic network.