The RTG 2498 invited Prof. Jim Whelan from LaTrobe University, Australia to give a talk as part of the Halle Plant Science Colloquium on Tuesday, 08 October at 17:00. He is an outstanding expert in the field of plant mitochondrial biogenesis and with his talk about “Mitochondrial Signaling – Specific and Shared Pathways” he perfectly supports our RTG. We’re really looking forward to meeting him.
Abstract: To achieve functional plasticity, mitochondrial activity needs to be coordinated on the cellular level via anterograde and retrograde signaling pathways, that control mitochondrial biogenesis from seed germination to senescence. At a transcriptional level, the integration of these mitochondrial pathways with those in chloroplasts, hormonal and environmental signalling pathways is being uncovered. At a post-transcriptional level, the regulation of various cellular functions via controlling RNA and protein turnover, protein trafficking and enzyme activity, also impact mitochondrial function. Also, recent studies suggest post-translational regulation of mitochondrial retrograde signaling. Together these studies show that mitochondria not only respond to stress, but also act as a sensors for cellular metabolism, and inputs from mitochondria re-program cellular processes from mitotic activity to cell death to optimise plant growth.
