I carried out a COST funded Short Term Scientific Mission in Prof. Tapio Palva’s group in University of Helsinki. First aim of my mission in Helsinki was to construct a guard-cell specific cDNA library and to screen it with split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid system in order to find potential interacting proteins for ERD15. The second aim of my mission was to perform microarray analyses with RNA extracted previously from wild-type and ERD15 overexpressing plants in order to compare gene expression in wild-type and ERD15 overexpressing plants, in mesophyll tissue and in guard cells.
In course of my STSM in Helsinki a guard-cell specific cDNA library that can be used later in screening for potential stomatal interaction partners of proteins of interest was constructed successfully. The library was screened in split-ubiquitin yeast two-hybrid system. Plasmids coding for potential interactors of ERD15 were extracted and sent to sequencing and results will be obtained in the near future. The microarray experiments with wild-type and ERD15 overexpressor plant RNA from guard cells and mesophyll tissue have not been finished yet, but we expect to obtain results in the near future.
My STSM in Helsinki enabled me to learn new methods that I can apply in my home lab in the future. What is more, the STSM strengthened connections between our research group and the host group and hopefully we will continue to collaborate successfully in the future.
