SSRP Abstract

Board 8: Using Genetics to Determine the Components of Gravity Sensing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Student Scientists: Nandini Arora ’24, Lindsey Ashcraft ’24, Josh Cabacungan ’24, Nicole Klabus ’24, Carly Sanders ’24, Abbey Setlik ’23, and Reece Trowbridge ’23
Research Mentor: Chris Wolverton (OWU Department of Biological Sciences

Before plants are able to use nitrogen, an essential nutrient, they must first change its form. Two genes in Arabidopsis thaliana are known to be key players in the first steps of this process but are also thought to be involved in an alternative gravity response pathway. By using plants that are confirmed to have a non-working copy of these genes, it can be determined if and how these genes are interacting with gravity. These results can be used to understand how plants respond to gravity, which will contribute to the ability to grow plants in environments with lesser gravity, such as in space.

Gravity is the most persistent influence on plant growth, architecture, and the way plants respond to their environment. Amyloplasts, starch-filled structures within plant cells, are known to be the preeminent factor in plant gravity sensing. Research has shown that mutant Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking amyloplasts use alternative means of responding to gravity. Previous work in our lab comparing early transcriptional changes between wild-type and starchless roots following gravistimulation identified 124 genes of interest in the gravity response pathway. Mutant seedlings containing a T-DNA insert that disrupts the working copy of the gene of interest were cultivated for experimental use. To collect more data and narrow the list of 124 genes, DNA and RNA were isolated from the plant tissues and amplified using PCR methods. Using gel electrophoresis, the PCR products were confirmed to be consistent with a plant lacking the specific gene of interest. Arabidopsis seedlings confirmed via gel electrophoresis were then run through a series of imaging tests. The first test consisted of rotating five seedlings precisely 90 degrees; a picture was taken every 10 minutes for a 200-minute period where the plants were allowed to grow. Angle measurements were recorded at determined intervals. The second test included rotating seedlings 90 degrees, then 15 degrees every hour for 200 minutes. Pictures were taken every 10 minutes, and angle measurements were recorded at specific intervals. The research conducted is ongoing and therefore incomplete. The conclusion of these experiments will narrow down the list of genes involved in gravity response and allow a better understanding of the components involved in an alternate gravity response pathway.