Regulation of Gene Expression Team

Leader

dr hab. Agnieszka Kiełbowicz-Matuk

Members

dr Anna Kasprzewska

mgr inż. Magdalena Biegańska

mgr Klaudia Grądzka (PhD student)

From left to right: A. Kasprzewska, A. Kiełbowicz-Matuk, M. Biegańska, K. Grądzka

Research profile

The Team's research is related to understanding the mechanisms of adaptation of Solanum tubersoum species to changing environmental conditions during development. Our studies are essentially focused on exploring the biological function of B-box zinc finger (BBX) proteins and the regulators of their expression in development processes controlled by light and the circadian clock under optimal growth and in response to environmental constraints as well as exploring the molecular process controlling tuberization in potato species that differ in their ability to produce tubers.

We use a wide range of biological, biochemical and genetics approaches including yeast one-hybrid system, EMSA technique, ChIP-seq for identifying transcription factors, coimmunoprecipitation, pull-down and yeast two-hybrid system for isolating protein complex, gene expression studies and classical genetics (Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of S.  tubersoum, S. pennellii and A. thaliana).

Our main achievements reveal that:

• StBBX24 may function as a regulator affecting the control of reproductive development in potato likely through a role at the flower bud initiation stage.
• StBBX24 is a downstream component in the signaling pathway triggered by high salinity and regulating the expression of the major genes involved in cell sodium homeostasis.
• StZPR1 is a novel clock-associated transcription factor in plants necessary for the accurate rhythmic expression of specific circadian-regulated genes. StZPR1 protein may act as a regulator affecting the control of reproductive development in cultivated potato through an important role in the flower bud initiation stage.

Key words

B-box type zinc finger proteins, flowering, tuberization, Solanum tuberosum

Selected recent publications (see all in Scopus)

Kiełbowicz‐Matuk A., Grądzka K., Biegańska M., Talar U., Czarnecka J., Rorat T. (2022) The StBBX24 protein affects the floral induction and mediates salt tolerance in Solanum tubersoum. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.965098.

Mikołajczak K., Kuczyńska A., Ogrodowicz P., Kiełbowicz-Matuk A., Ćwiek-Kupczyńska H., Daszkowska-Golec A., Szarejko I., Surma M., Krajewski P. (2022) High-throughput sequencing data revealed genotype-specific changes evoked by heat stress in crown tissue of barley sdw1 near-isogenic lines. BMC Genomics. 23, 177. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08410-1.

Kamrani Y.Y., Shomali A., Aliniaeifard S., Lastochkina O., Moosavi-Nezhad M., Hajinajaf N., Talar U. (2022) Regulatory role of circadian clocks on ABA production and signaling, stomatal responses, and water-use efficiency under water-deficit conditions. Cells 11, 7: 1154, DOI: 10.3390/cells11071154.

Talar U., Kiełbowicz‐Matuk A. (2021) Beyond Arabidopsis: BBX Regulators in Crop Plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22: 2906. DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062906.

Grądzka K., Kiełbowicz-Matuk A. (2020) Białka B-Box u roślin – heterogeniczność strukturalna i funkcjonalna. Postępy Biologii Komórki. Tom 47, nr 3: 225–246.

Parrotta L., Aloisia I., Suannoa C., Faleri C.,  Kiełbowicz-Matuk A., Bini L., Cai G., Del Duca S. (2019) A low molecular-weight cyclophilin localizes in different cell compartments of Pyrus communis pollen and is released in vitro under Ca²⁺ depletion. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 144: 197-206. DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2019.09.045.

Kiełbowicz-Matuk A., Czarnecka J., Banachowicz E., Rey P., Rorat T. (2017) Solanum tuberosum ZPR1 encodes a light-regulated nuclear DNA-binding protein adjusting the circadian expression of StBBX24 to light cycle. Plant, Cell & Environment 40(3): 424–440. DOI: 0.1111/pce.12875.

Talar U., Kiełbowicz-Matuk A., Czarnecka J., Rorat T. (2017) Genome-wide survey of B-box proteins in potato (Solanum tuberosum) – identification, characterization and expression patterns during diurnal cycle, etiolation and deetiolation. PLOS ONE 12(5), e0177471.

Projects (finished recently or current)