Project summary

Despite a considerable progress in uncovering fundamental molecular processes involved in the regulation of eukaryotic cell polarity, the understanding of this phenomenon in plants is still fragmentary at best. In collaboration with German colleagues we found the possibility of an unexpected co-ordinated involvement of exocyst and a class of plant defence proteins in the regulation of targeted exocytosis; the present project, involving collaboration of both groups, builds on this observation. Exocyst is an evolutionarily conserved cytoplasmic secretory vesicle-tethering complex implicated in the targeting of secretory pathway components to specific plasma membrane (PM) domains; on the contrary, the molecular function of our class of plant defence proteins remains unknown. Unpublished observations in our labs revealed that Arabidopsis loss-of-function mutants in these defence proteins and the exocyst have almost identical phenotypic defects in the biogenesis of secondary cell walls. We aim to elucidate currently unknown molecular mechanism(s) of these defence proteins activity in the context of exocyst function in polarized exocytosis. We shall address the presumed interplay of these proteins in defence as well as in secondary wall biologenesis. Our efforts should substantially contribute to the understanding of the enigmatic molecular mechanism of these defence proteins.

Five relevant publications of the research group

Sekereš J, Pejchar P, Šantrůček J, Vukašinović N, Žárský V, Potocký M. Analysis of exocyst subunit EXO70 family reveals distinct membrane polar domains in tobacco pollen tubes. Plant Physiol. 173: 1659-1675, doi:10.1104/pp.16.01709, 2017 (IF = 5.949)

Pecenková T, Markovic V, Sabol P, Kulich I, Žárský V. Exocyst and autophagy-related membrane trafficking in plants. J. Exp. Bot. Dec 18;69(1):47-57. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erx363. 2017. (IF = 5.354)

Kulich I, Vojtíková Z, Sabol P, Ortmannová J, Neděla V, Tihlaříková E, Žárský V. EXO70H4 has a specific role in callose synthase secretion, essential for silica accumulation. Plant Physiol. 2018 Jan 4. pii: pp.01693.2017. doi: 10.1104/pp.17.01693. [Epub ahead of print] (IF = 5.949)

Sabol P, Kulich I, Žárský V. RIN4 recruits the exocyst subunit EXO70B1 to the plasma membrane. J. Exp. Bot. 68(12):3253-3265, doi: 10.1093/jxb/erx007, 2017. (IF = 5.354)

Vukašinović N, Oda Y, Pejchar P, Synek L, Pečenková T, Rawat A, Sekereš J, Potocký M, Žárský V. Microtubule-dependent targeting of the exocyst complex is necessary for xylem development in Arabidopsis. New Phytol. 213(3):1052-1067, 2017 – doi: 10.1111/nph.14267., 2017. (IF = 7,433)

Current research grants of the group

CSF/GACR projects – GF16-34887L (end of 2018); 18-18290J; new CSF/DFG project, with DFG decision pending.

MSMT – NPUI LO1417 (till 2019)

Source of financial support of the project
(min. 5000 CZK per month)

New CSF collaborative project (pending confirmation from the DFG site)

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