Research Projects

Plants utilize cell surface sensors and receptors to detect changes in their environment, and they possess a large number of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that control biological activities like growth, development, and stress responses. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the S-domain RLKs (SD-RLKs) are one of the largest subfamilies, with 39 members. These members are further classified into three groups: SD1, SD2, and SD3. Despite their large number, only a few have been functionally evaluated and linked to various biological processes, such as development, innate immunity, and stress responses. Three of the 39 members, At1g61360, At1g61380, and At1g61460, emerged as key genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance and signaling. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. This project aims to examine the role of one key SD-RLK in Arabidopsis thaliana, At1g61380 (SD1-29), using phospho-proteomics, mass spectrometry, Y2H, BiFC, GFP pull-down, and kinase assay on SD1-29 knockout mutant, gene overexpression, and wild type lines. The aim is to understand the role of SD1-29 in Arabidopsis thaliana during abiotic stress mitigation and signaling at a molecular scale.