Lipid Sensors Integrate Diurnal Phospholipid Metabolism with Gene Expression Networks in Plants

Interactions between proteins and lipid metabolites are highly dynamic in all living cells, yet their full scope and biological significance remain poorly understood. In plants, membrane lipids provide cellular storage of the vital chemical element phosphorus. Imbalances in lipid metabolism result in organismal abnormalities affecting growth outcomes. This project will investigate regulatory proteins that contain lipid sensors, addressing how metabolism and day-night signals integrate gene expression and growth control. By focusing on the molecular mechanisms decoding specific lipid and protein inputs, this research will uncover novel insights, potentially advancing our understanding of how lipid metabolites orchestrate growth decisions across organisms. In plants, the regulatory proteins play critical roles in the epidermis to protect against water loss and environmental stress, traits that are beneficial for optimization of crop productivity. The information gained from this research will facilitate improvements in renewable and sustainable plant-derived products, with applications in biotechnology and production of advanced materials in manufacturing. In addition, the project will train postdoctoral researchers and students across multiple levels in interdisciplinary research spanning biology, computational biochemistry and informatics, while promoting research and educational experiences through public outreach. In plant cells, specific lipid sensors maintain homeostasis by directly binding to phospholipid metabolites. The mechanistic details and causality relationships underlying this activity are not clear, presenting a gap in understanding how gene expression integrates diurnal cues with growth during development. This research will test the hypothesis that lipid metabolites act directly on plant transcription factors to modulate gene expression in response to developmental and environmental inputs. The goal of this project is to gain knowledge of the mechanisms governing this intricate regulation of gene expression. Focusing on transcriptional regulatory proteins required for cell-type differentiation of the epidermis in the plant model Arabidopsis, this project will: (1) elucidate the binding properties to lysophospholipids; and (2) characterize adaptor protein interactions with these transcriptional regulators. Within each aim, experimental and computational approaches will be applied in a complementary manner, merging genetics and biochemistry with molecular dynamics simulation and free-energy calculation techniques. This project will reveal novel insights in understanding the dynamic interplay between metabolic pathways and the regulation of gene expression. Gaining a mechanistic understanding of these key transcriptional regulators has the potential for significant impact in biotechnology applications and development of renewable plant-derived products for human nutrition, raw materials, and energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2545120 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Kathrin Schrick | Institution: Kansas State University, MANHATTAN, KS | Award Amount: $1,000,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2545120 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2545120.html