Exploring MAP Kinases’ Role in Stress Response

Student Name: Neil Shieh

UCD Department: Plant Biology

UCD Mentor: Dr. Katie Dehesh

 Plants are subject to many stresses daily.  In order to efficiently deal with all of these stresses, plants have devised a general stress response which allows them to immediately respond before executing a specialized response to deal with the stressor.  Multiple biological pathways in cells have been observed to activate the Rapid Stress Response Element (RSRE), which is the cis-element that plays a part in activating the general stress response.  Previous research conducted on the effects of various chemicals on RSRE activation indicated a possible relationship between Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways’ and RSRE activation.  The individual effects of MAPK inhibitors on wound response, pathogen response, and basal response in one week old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings will give a clearer picture of how MAPK pathways are utilized in those responses. This study shows that MAPK modulating chemicals are able to enhance specific stress responses. Additionally, one MAPK modulator was able to delay all RSRE induction.  Since MAPK pathways are conserved in animals, studying MAPK pathways’ role in plants could be applicable to human stress responses.