Two distinguished PhDs at IPS2
Kevin BAUDRY (Organellar Gene Expression)
1) Gordon Research Conference, Chloroplast Biotechnology (6-11 January 2019, Ventura (CA, US)) :
Exploration of PPR-PPR interactions inside the Organelle RNA Editing Complex
Prices: Best Poster Award, Dufrenoy Grant 2019 from the French Academy of Agriculture
RNA editing is an organellar RNA maturation step catalyzed by a protein complex called the editosome. Kevin Baudry’s recent work suggests that in some editosomes, where 3 PPR proteins are required, one PPR acts as a bridge stabilizing the interaction between the two others.
2) Meeting of the French Photosynthesis Society 2019 (9-10 May 2019, Gif -sur-Yvette (France)):
The Plastidial Protein CBSX2 regulates Thioredoxin activities in an AMP/ATP dependent manner
Prices: Best Poster Award
In plastid, redox reactions are prominent and mainly regulated through thioredoxins (TRX) activities. Kevin Baudry’s research work shows that plastidial TRXm specifically interacts with CBSX2. CBSX2 inhibits TRXm in vitro capacity to activate the malate dehydrogenase and to serve as a reducing substrate for 2Cys-peroxiredoxin. This TRXm inhibition by CBSX2 is reversed by AMP and ATP.
Pierre GAUTRAT (Signaling pathways controlling legume root system development)
23rd International Conference on Plant Growth Substances (June 25-29 2019, (Paris France))
At the crossroads of local and systemic pathways involving signaling peptides to regulate nodulation in Medicago truncatula
Price: Best Poster Award
Legume plants are able to form nitrogen fixing nodules thanks to an interaction with symbiotic bacteria. Nodulation is tightly controlled by the plant through various signals to finely tune balance between carbon availability and nitrogen demand. Pierre Gautrat (2nd year PhD student at the IPS2) focuses on the study of systemic signaling pathways mediated by peptides controlling nodulation. His work in Florian Frugier’s SILEG team suggests that two independent systemic pathways act through the same downstream target, a microRNA, to regulate nodulation antagonistically.