Molecular basis of plant responses to the environment
Plants are constantly exposed to a wide range of environmental variables and these have a massive influence on growth and development. Light drives photosynthesis and plants strive to maximise light capture. Several parameters of the light-environment (spectral quality, quantity, duration and direction) regulate plant morphogenesis and the composition of the photosynthetic machinery. In contrast, other aspects of the environment, such as extremes of temperature, drought and soil nutrient deficiencies may impair plant growth or even cause death. Hence plants need to protect against these environmental stresses to survive.
Many plant responses to the environment involve the regulation of gene expression, for instance to alter the levels of photosynthetic components or to produce proteins that help to protect against specific stresses. It is therefore important to understand how plants perceive different environmental stimuli and use this information to regulate the expression of particular sets of genes. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms of stimulus perception and the signal transduction processes that couple perception to the transcription of specific genes.