Krill Prize
Krill Prize
Krill Prize
for Excellence in Scientific Research
Promising researchers team of the Israeli Academy
The Krill Prizes for Excellence in Scientific Research
Promising researchers team of the Israeli Academy
in Honor and Memory of Benjamin and Gitla Krill Mansbach Shlanger
The Krill Prizes for Excellence in Scientific Research, presented by the Wolf Foundation in collaboration with the Krill family, have been a prestigious annual recognition since 2005. These prizes, established in memory and honor of the late Benjamin and Gitla Krill Mansbach Schlanger r.i.p., aim to celebrate and support exceptional academic faculty members and promising researchers from Israeli research universities.
Spanning the fields of exact sciences, life sciences, medicine, engineering, and agriculture, the Krill Prize is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated remarkable research breakthroughs. The recipients are not only recognized for their past achievements but are also anticipated to play pivotal roles in leading research and academia in Israel in the future.
The judging committee of the Wolf Foundation meticulously selects ten winners each year from a pool of candidates proposed by academic institutions in Israel. The chosen individuals are distinguished by their determination, initiative, and creativity, attributes that have contributed to significant breakthroughs in scientific research.
Endowed by the estate of the late Avraham Hirsch Krill Shlanger, born in 1912 in Haminitz, Germany, the Krill Prize carries a rich legacy. Avraham Krill, who, before World War II, married Deborah Kretzig and migrated to South America, became a successful entrepreneur with a thriving textile factory. An active member of the Jewish community of German origin in South America, Avraham Krill ardently supported the State of Israel from its inception. The awards, given in memory and honor of his parents, symbolize the Krill family’s enduring connection to the State of Israel and their firm belief in the intrinsic link between science and vision.
Over the years, the numerous recipients of the Krill Prize have garnered immense respect for the Israeli academy. The Wolf Foundation takes great pride in representing these distinguished individuals as the most promising researchers within the Israeli academy. Their collective achievements stand as a testament to their leadership qualities, demonstrating unequivocally that they are among the foremost contributors to the advancement of the Israeli academic landscape.
to the Peres Krill photo gallery
Laureates
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Nir Shlezinger
Krill Prize 2024
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Chaya Keller
Krill Prize 2024
Ariel University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Raya Sorkin
Krill Prize 2024
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Hila Peleg
Krill Prize 2024
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Itamar Harel
Krill Prize 2024
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yaniv Romano
Krill Prize 2024
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Renana Gershoni-Poranne
Krill Prize 2024
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Neta Shlezinger
Krill Prize 2024
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Mor Nitzan
Krill Prize 2024
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yoav Livneh
Krill Prize 2024
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yuval Hart
Krill Prize 2023
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Tomer Koren
Krill Prize 2023
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Inbal Talgam-Cohen
Krill Prize 2023
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Nitzan Gonen
Krill Prize 2023
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Viviane Slon
Krill Prize 2023
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yotam Drier
Krill Prize 2023
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ido Goldstein
Krill Prize 2023
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Shay Moran
Krill Prize 2023
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Aviv Tamar
Krill Prize 2023
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Leeat Keren
Krill Prize 2023
Weizmann
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ely Kovetz
Krill Prize 2022
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Sivan Refaely-Abramson
Krill Prize 2022
Weizmann Institute of Science
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Moran Yassour
Krill Prize 2022
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Jonathan Ruhman
Krill Prize 2022
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yehonadav Bekenstein
Kril Prize 2022
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ittay Eyal
Krill Prize 2022
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Haitham Amal
Krill Prize 2022
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Gili Bisker
Krill Prize 2022
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ron Rothblum
Krill Prize 2022
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Uri Ben-David
Krill Prize 2022
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yoav Shechtman
Krill Prize 2021
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Moran Shalev Ben-Ami
Krill Prize 2021
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Benyamin Rosental
Krill Prize 2021
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ido Kaminer
Krill Prize 2021
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Tamir klein
Krill Prize 2021
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Merav Parter
Krill Prize 2021
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Guy Katz
Krill Prize 2021
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Naomi Habib
Krill Prize 2021
The Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Liron Barak
Krill Prize 2021
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Joshua Baraban
Krill Prize 2021
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Schraga Schwartz
Krill Prize 2020
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Kfir Blum
Krill Prize 2020
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Tomer Michaeli
Krill Prize 2020
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yuval Filmus
Krill Prize 2020
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Meirav Zehavi
Krill Prize 2020
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Idan Hod
Krill Prize 2020
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Adam Teman
Krill Prize 2020
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yasmine Meroz
Krill Prize 2020
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yakir Hadad
Krill Prize 2020
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yonit Hochberg
Krill Prize 2020
Hebrew Univ.
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Neta Regev-Rudzki
Krill Prize 2019
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ofer Firstenberg
Krill Prize 2019
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amnon Bar-Shir
Krill Prize 2019
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Shahar Kvatinsky
Krill Prize 2019
Technion Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yaron Fuchs
Krill Prize 2019
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Baruch Barzel
Krill Prize 2019
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Malachi Noked
Krill Prize 2019
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Noga Ron-Zewi
Krill Prize 2019
Haifa University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Dafna Shahaf
Krill Prize 2019
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ori Katz
Krill Prize 2019
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Itzhak Tamo
Krill Prize 2018
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amit Sever
Krill Prize 2018
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Meital Landau
Krill Prize 2018
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Charles E. Diesendruck
Krill Prize 2018
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yakov Babichenko
Krill Prize 2018
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ayelet Erez
Krill Prize 2018
Weismann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Adi Salomon
Krill Prize 2018
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Elad Gross
Krill Prize 2018
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Emmanuel Levy
Krill Prize 2018
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Anat Milo
Krill Prize 2018
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Avi Shroeder
Krill Prize 2017
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Carmel Rotchild
Krill Prize 2017
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Shiri Chechik
Krill Prize 2017
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yonatan Dubi
Krill Prize 2017
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yoav Goldberg
Krill Prize 2017
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Zvika Brakerski
Krill Prize 2017
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Asya Rolls
Krill Prize 2017
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Nir Bar-Gill
Krill Prize 2017
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yossi Buganim
Krill Prize 2017
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Eilon Shani
Krill Prize 2017
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Keren Censor-Hillel
Krill Prize 2016
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Netanel Lindner
Krill Prize 2016
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Maya Bar Sadan
Krill Prize 2016
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Jakub Abramson
Krill Prize 2016
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Itay Halevy
Krill Prize 2016
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yossi Yovel
Krill Prize 2016
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Daniel Deutch
Krill Prize 2016
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Assaf Rinot
Krill Prize 2016
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Lioz Etgar
Krill Prize 2016
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Dana Reichmann
Krill Prize 2016
Hebrew Univ.
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Eran Ofek
Krill Prize 2015
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ido Amit
Krill Prize 2015
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Barak Dayan
Krill Prize 2015
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Natalie Elia Herooty
Krill Prize 2015
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Oded Rechavi
Krill Prize 2015
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Alex Retzker
Krill Prize 2015
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Michael Schapira
Krill Prize 2015
Hebrew Univ.
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Sharon Ruthstein
Krill Prize 2015
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Uri Shapira
Krill Prize 2015
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Moran Bercovici
Krill Prize 2015
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Or Dunkelman
Krill Prize 2014
Haifa University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Irit Gat-Viks
Krill Prize 2014
Tel Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Lilach Gilboa
Krill Prize 2014
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Eran Bouchbinder
Krill Prize 2014
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Shahal Ilani
Krill Prize 2014
Weizman Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Roie Yerushalmi
Krill Prize 2014
Hebrew Univ.
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Daniel Podolsky
Krill Prize 2014
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amir Yehudayoff
Krill Prize 2014
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Nathan Keller
Krill Prize 2014
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Niv Papo
Krill Prize 2014
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
David Nicolas Waldmann
Krill Prize 2013
University of Haifa
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Tomer Volansky
Krill Prize 2013
Tel-Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Nirit Dudovich
Krill Prize 2013
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Anat Levin
Krill Prize 2013
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Sagiv Shifman
Krill Prize 2013
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Itai Ynai
Krill Prize 2013
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amit Kanigel
Krill Prize 2013
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Avinoam Zadok
Krill Prize 2013
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Jacob Hanna
Krill Prize 2013
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Jacob (kobi) Gal
Krill Prize 2013
Ben Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Yoel Shkolnisky
Krill Prize 2012
Tel- Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Alex Bronstein
Krill Prize 2012
Tel – Aviv University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Erez Levanon
Krill Prize 2012
Bar-Ilan University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amos Tanay
Krill Prize 2012
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Nachum Ulanovsky
Krill Prize 2012
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Ido Branslavsky
Krill Prize 2012
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Gil Alexandrowicz
Krill Prize 2012
Technion
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Louisa Meshi
Krill Prize 2012
Ben-Gurion University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Amir Amedi
Krill Prize 2011
Hebrew University
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are members ofNPF, ABC, or PUP families. My research group and others identified the NPFs as the first GA transporter in plants 14• Although our studies suggest that individual NPF and ABC genes have specialized functions, genetic analyses of the family have been limited by the scarcity of loss-of-function phenotypes. The major reason for this is that plant genomes are highly redundant. There are huge numbers of genes encoding NPF and ABC transporters (53 and 120, respectively, in Arabidopsis) that exhibit high redundancy despite diverse substrate specificity of the encoded proteins. This redundancy, with over 80% of all protein-coding genes belonging to families, illustrates the huge challenge to the field of plant genetics in general and to the study of hormone transport specifically. On top of that, certain transporters, such as some NPFs, can transport multiple hormone substrates (GA, ABA) generating a highly robust system that is unique and interesting but puzzling (J 2, 14, 17). Furthermore, transporters with high specificity for conjugated hormones, which must balance the subcellular active hormone pools, have not been identified.
We plan to address the burning questions that emerge from this recent progress in the field, all of which are challenging due to the functional redundancy of plant hormone transporters: 1) Do closely related NPF and ABC members transport multiple substrates and what is the biological importance of such activity? 2) Why have GA exporters, which must exist to enable the movement of the hormone, not been identified? 3) Are there specialized hormone transporters for conjugated hormones and what is their contribution to the rapid hormone response at tissue and subcellular levels? 4) Do subcellularly localized hormone transporters affect the hormone response and what is subcellular hormone map?
The major goal of the lab goals is to investigate the robust and specialized functions of plant hormone transporter families. In our lab we will are using multiple-targeted artificial microRNAs and CRISPR technology to establish Arabidopsis and tomato populations, respectively, deficient in multiple redundant hormone transporters. First stage, we generated a unique targeted forward genetic approach that bypasses functional redundancy in plants with a dynamic screening range. This allows us to first target the NPF and ABC families in Arabidopsis and tomato. At a second stage, we are using targeted high-throughput screens to identify developmental redundant phenotypes. These loss-of-function phenotypes combined with hormone-mediated physiological assays, analyses of transporter expression patterns and localization, and biochemical transport assays allows us to study NPF and ABC hormone transport mechanisms, identify missing exporters, and evaluate subcellular localization of hormone transporters. Our work in the past three years has identified novel putative GA, CK, IAA and ABA hormone transporters, including CRISPR application in tomato that recovered striking GA-mediated growth defects when six novel GA transporters were knocked out in tomato, thus emphasizing the outstanding strength of our screens. Having the novel CRISPR multiple-targeted platform at our disposal is a significant achievement, since it not only contribute to our understanding of hormone transport mechanisms but will also serve as a scientific breakthrough to overcome functional redundancy in all fields of plant biology and agricultural breeding.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
In addition, there is growing amount of evidence suggesting that hormone transporters localized on intracellular compartments actively regulate the subcellular distributions of hormones and hormone intermediate (J 8-20). One of the labs aims is to obtain a deeper understanding of hormones distribution in snbcellular resolution, and address the question of quantitative endogenous hormone levels in different compartments. To profile cellular hormone metabolites within discrete organelles, we are using an innovative strategy to isolate distinct cellular compartments and reveal the complete profiles of active hormone and hormone precursors and conjugates in organelles. This approach will generate the first subcellular hormone localization map and will enable the quantification and characterization of the in vivo activities of known and unidentified subcellular hormone transporters. We believe that our studies will lead to a fuller understanding of hormone transporter functions and specialized subcellular activities.
Avishay Gal-Yam
Krill Prize 2011
Weizmann Institute
Dr. Eilon Shani
Scientific Overview:
Plant growth and development is mediated to a large extent by hormones. Plants regulate hormone response pathways at multiple levels including biosynthesis, metabolism, perception, and signaling (1-3). In addition, plants exhibit the unique ability to spatially regulate hormone distribution ( 4, 5). This ability is illustrated most clearly in the case of auxin (!AA). The combined activity of auxin influx and efflux carrier proteins generates auxin maxima and local gradients that inform developmental patterning. The regulation of the cellular localization of PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux transporters determines the direction of auxin flow from one cell to another ( 6, 7). Until recently, little was known about the transport mechanisms and the distribution patterns of hormones other than auxin. These are exciting days for the plant hormone community as novel gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK) transporters have recently been identified (8-14) joining earlier findings on auxin transporters (15, 16), all are memb