| Abstract Detail
Plant Resilience to Climate Challenges Rosado, Abel [1]. Membrane Contact Sites Plants: Maintaining cellular stability against environmental stresses. Regions of close apposition between organelles often referred to as membrane contact sites (MCSs) are evolutionarily conserved microdomains that have important roles in specialized metabolic functions such as intracellular communication, lipid exchange, and Ca2+ signaling. Despite recent advances in knowledge about contact site components and functions in yeast and mammals, relatively little is known about the functional significance of these structures in plants. Here we introduce an Arabidopsis family of MCS components named Synaptotagmins (SYTs) and discuss their role in the cellular adaptation to environmental stresses. Plant SYTs are enriched at the ER-PM interphase, function as Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding proteins, and establish electrostatic interactions between the ER and PM. Our physiological studies show that the SYT anchors are required for plasma membrane integrity maintenance, especially under conditions of high potential for membrane disruption such as mechanical, freezing, or osmotic stresses. Together these results highlight an important role for plant ER-PM contact sites in the cellular adaptation to multiple environmental stresses.
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1 - The University of British Columbia, Botany, 6270 University Blvd. Suite 2315, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Keywords:
Membrane Contact Sites
Plasma Membrane Integrity
Synaptotagmins
osmotic stress
Mechanical Stress
Arabidopsis
Cell Biology.
Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SY18
Location: Hall A/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 3:45 PM
Number: SY18006
Abstract ID:202
Candidate for Awards:None |
