IPB 2025 Spring Student Seminar Series: Maryam Almazrouei
Interdepartmental Plant Biology 2025 Spring Student Seminar Series (PLBIO 6960)
Presentation:
Molecular and Functional Characterization of AT4G23740 (lrr) Gene in the Regulation of Autophagy in Arabidopsis thaliana
Abstract:
Autophagy, a "self-eating" process, plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by selectively degrading and recycling cytoplasmic materials in eukaryotic cells. In plants, autophagy is crucial during growth and development, maintaining cellular homeostasis and promoting survival in response to environmental stress. This process is regulated by a set of autophagy-related (ATG) genes that control autophagosome formation.
Recent multi-omics analyses in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that the loss of function of several candidate genes, including ATG genes, is significantly involved in autophagy regulation during basal and nutrient stress. The lrr mutant gene (AT4G23740) is one of these candidate genes, and investigating its role is significantly essential in crop resilience to stress.
My research focuses on the functional and molecular characterization of lrr and its role in the autophagy process in Arabidopsis. Preliminary phenotypic analyses investigate its impacts on seed germination and plant survival under various abiotic stress, such as sucrose starvation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and osmotic stress. Additionally, I am generating transgenic lines with overexpression and knockout to facilitate the investigation of its role in autophagy-related processes and its tolerance to various stress conditions. This will provide insights into the gene's function and its potential regulatory effects on autophagy.
Presenter: Maryam Almazrouei
Bassham Lab
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology
Maryam completed her master's degree in international and civil security from Khalifa University and holds a bachelor's degree in general biology from UAE University. She is joining Diane Bassham's lab at Iowa State University, where she is focusing on investigating the role of autophagy-related genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.