We invite you to a seminar by Rainer Waadt:

Development and application of genetically encoded fluorescent indicators to illuminate signaling processes in Arabidopsis

To interact with their environment, plants need to sense various external and internal cues and translate the underlying information into biochemical signals that mediate physiological-, growth- and developmental adaptations. Phytohormones, Ca²⁺, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and H⁺ (pH) are well known mediators of such signal transduction processes. To understand how signal transduction is achieved, we need to measure the spatiotemporal dynamics of these compounds in intact plants, and identify the mechanisms that contribute to the generation, propagation, and termination of the signals. Biosensors, especially genetically encoded fluorescent indicators (GEFIs) are ideal tools for such analyses.

In this seminar, I will explain the different types of GEFIs that are used in plants and present my work on the development and application of indicators for the plant hormone abscisic acid. In addition, I will explain how GEFIs with different fluorescence properties can be combined to enable the simultaneous analysis of two signaling compounds, which revealed a remarkable overlap of Ca²⁺, H⁺ and Cl^- dynamics in Arabidopsis roots. Finally, I may conclude by presenting our latest work on the analysis of Ca²⁺ dynamics in response to salt stress.

The seminar will be held at the Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 263, Prague 6, in the Library room (building B1, 1st floor).