Life Sciences Commons^™

Investigation Of Shot1-Binding Atpases In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Sam Zelman

Masters Theses

Mitochondria play critical roles not only in primary metabolism as a central organelle for ATP generation, but also in responding to abiotic stresses. We identified a mutation in the MTERF18 (Mitochondrial Transcription Termination factor)/SHOT1 (Suppressor of hot1-4 1) gene in Arabidopsis thaliana that enables plants to better tolerate heat and oxidative stresses, presumably due to reduced oxidative damage, but the exact molecular mechanism of the heat tolerance is unknown. In order to reveal the stress tolerance mechanisms of mterf18/shot1 mutations, it is critical to understand the molecular defects of the mutant and to identify …

Iron Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Celina Abundis

Masters Theses

Iron is among the essential micronutrients for all living organisms and is a cofactor for many cellular redox reactions. Although iron is a highly abundant metal element found in the earth’s crust, it is also a limiting factor in plant development when it is present as insoluble ferric oxides. Plants have evolved two strategies to acquire soluble iron referred to as Strategy I and Strategy II. Our lab has focused on the Arabidopsis thaliana double mutant ysl1ysl3. The mutants display a chlorotic phenotype and are unable to correctly respond to iron deficiency.

Grafting is a common method for joining …

Elucidating The Effect Of Silver On Ethylene Signaling In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Brittany Kathleen Mcdaniel

Masters Theses

Ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone, is involved in numerous plant developmental processes such as seed germination, senescence, and fruit ripening. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ethylene is perceived by a family of five membrane-bound receptors, which upon binding ethylene trigger downstream effects. At the receptor level, it is known that the coordination of a copper ion is necessary for ethylene to bind, resulting in a conformational change of the receptor and the initiation of the ethylene signal transduction pathway. Interestingly, silver ions are also able to support binding of ethylene but ethylene responses are blocked in the presence of silver. When …