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Determining how the circadian clock increases chlorophyll content in Arabidopsis thaliana

English title Determining how the circadian clock increases chlorophyll content in Arabidopsis thaliana
Applicant Aubry Sylvain
Number 123289
Funding scheme Fellowships for prospective researchers
Research institution Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge
Institution of higher education Institution abroad - IACH
Main discipline Molecular Biology
Start/End 01.09.2008 - 28.02.2010
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All Disciplines (3)

Discipline
Molecular Biology
Botany
Biochemistry

Keywords (6)

chlorophyll; circadian clock; circadian resonance; turnover; photoprotection; fitness

Lay Summary (English)

Lead
Lay summary
Plants have evolved in response to the day/night succession by coordinating their metabolic activity to environmental changes. The circadian clock, a molecular timekeeper allows biological events to be synchronized with the external day/night cycle. The circadian clock modulates a wide range of physiological and biochemical processes, such as photosynthesis, stomatal opening, organ movement and induction of flowering. It has been shown that when the internal clock period is equal to the external environment period, Arabidopsis thaliana plants are performing better, i.e. accumulate more chlorophyll and fixate more carbon during photosynthesis. Mechanisms by which the chlorophyll content is regulated by the circadian clock are unknown.
The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of the circadian clock on chlorophyll content. To explain this phenomenon, chlorophyll turnover and photosynthetic protein turnover will be investigated upon resonant or dissonant conditions, in order to better characterize photosystem changes led by the clock. Within one and a half year, it is envisaged to determine how the clock helps plants to adapt to their environment, a major challenge to increase photosynthesis efficiency.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 21.02.2013

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Publications

Publication
Circadian oscillations of cytosolic free calcium regulate the Arabidopsis circadian clock
Martí Ruiz María Carmen, Hubbard Katharine E., Gardner Michael J., Jung Hyun Ju, Aubry Sylvain, Hotta Carlos T., Mohd-Noh Nur Izzati, Robertson Fiona C., Hearn Timothy J., Tsai Yu-Chang, Dodd Antony N., Hannah Matthew, Carré Isabelle A., Davies Julia M., Braam Janet, Webb Alex A. R. (2018), Circadian oscillations of cytosolic free calcium regulate the Arabidopsis circadian clock, in Nature Plants, 4(9), 690-698.

Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
207083 «It’s quarter to Daisy!» A floral clock based on Carl Linnaeus concept to display floral movements and their fascinating biology 01.01.2022 Agora

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