The process of photosynthesis is the most important in nature and also the most vulnerable. Changing weather conditions, including periods of drought and high and low temperature, impact on the photosynthetic apparatus, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species, (ROS) which can damage proteins, membranes and DNA.
Over a number of years, we have been examining the regulatory process that, in stress tolerant plants, can prevent damaging reactions. In particular, we have shown a major role of cyclic electron flow (CEF) and regulation of the cytochrome b6f complex in regulating electron flow to prevent ROS production. Work to date suggests that regulation of photosynthetic electron transport has the potential for improvement in crop plants, increasing stress tolerance and productivity. This project offers the opportunity to contribute to this aim
You will use a combination of ultra-sensitive time-resolved spectroscopic approaches and biochemical analyses to examine how electron transport operates in intact leaves. The availability of a range of different mutants, in particular in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, means that we can examine the role of individual proteins in regulation. Arabidopsis is readily transformed, meaning that it is possible to generate plants with different levels of proteins of interest, to establish the extent to which altering their expression might enhance regulation. You will join a thriving international lab, working alongside post-docs and PhD students working on closely related problems in plant biology.
Funding Notes:
To apply for this PhD project please see:
www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/phdprogrammes/howtoapply
References:
Joliot P. and Johnson G.N. (2011) Regulation of Cyclic and Linear Electron Flow in Higher Plants. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci 108, 13317-13322.
Johnson G.N. (2011) Physiology of PSI cyclic electron transport in higher plants. Biochim. Biophys. Acta - Bioenergetics 1807, 384-389.
Stepien P, Johnson GN. (2009). Contrasting responses of photosynthesis to salt stress in the glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana and the halophyte Thellungiella halophila. Role of the plastid terminal oxidase as an alternative electron sink. Plant Physiology, 149, 1154-1165.
Hald S., Nandha B., Gallois P. and Johnson G.N. (2008) Feedback regulation of photosynthetic electron transport by NADP(H) redox poise. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1777 433-440
Nandha B., Finazzi G., Joliot P., Hald S. and Johnson G.N. (2007) The role of PGR5 in the redox poising of photosynthetic electron transport. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1767, 1252-1259
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 Results