Research Projects

Earlier, miR393 was identified as an important nitrate-responsive miRNA that regulates root growth by altering auxin concentration (Vidal et al., 2010). Under Fe deficiency, the root morphology is characteristically altered in Arabidopsis. In our previous study, miR393a was found to be down-regulated in response to Fe deficiency while the transcript abundance of the target gene AFB3 was significantly up-accumulated. However, the role of miR393 in regulating Fe deficiency response remains elusive. Objectives: (a) Does miR393 regulate Fe-deficiency response in Arabidopsis? (b) How miR393 is regulated under Fe deficiency condition? Experimental design and significance: In this project, miR393-ox lines will be generated and Fe-deficiency response and auxin content will be analyzed and compared to the miR393 mutant and WT plants to determine the role of miR393a in regulating Fe-deficiency response. Similarly, the overexpression and mutant lines for the target gene, AFB3 will be analyzed under Fe-deficiency to explore the role of miR393-AFB3 module in regulating Fe homeostasis. Next, the promoter of the MIR393 gene will be analyzed to understand if the MIR393 expression is transcriptionally regulated under Fe deficiency and the transcription factors involved in such regulation will be identified. Together, this proposal aims to uncover the role of miR393a in modulating Fe-deficiency response in Arabidopsis.