Meike Burow

 

Associate Professor at DynaMo - Center of excellence for Dynamic Molecular Interactions

www.dynamo.ku.dk

Current research

Arabidopsis thaliana and its primary defense compounds, the glucosinolates, have been identified as a prime model system to study regulatory networks. Particularly, the chemically diverse methionine-derived glucosinolates have been recognized for their complex and dynamic regulatory network. T hree closely related R2R3 MYB transcription factors have been characterized as direct regulators that cooperatively interact to shape the profile of methionine-derived glucosinolates which changes dynamically in time and space. Additional regulatory mechanisms which appear to contribute to controlling glucosinolate levels in the plant include metabolite sensing, RNA-mediated regulation and protein-protein interactions between biosynthetic enzymes to facilitate efficient channelling of pathway intermediates.

Using glucosinolate biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana as a model pathway, we currently focus on:

- investigation of regulatory RNAs ( e.g. miRNAs) controlling glucosinolate biosynthesis including identification of their molecular targets.

- identification of novel interacting partners of the three known MYB transcription factors and validation of their in vivo functions using advanced bioimaging technology.

- protein-protein interactions between the biosynthetic enzymes and identification of scaffolding proteins and chaperones assisting the assembly/disassembly of the proposed metabolons.