Javier Paz-Ares

CONTROL OF PLANT RESPONSES TO PHOSPHATE STARVATION

Plant responses to phosphate starvation represent an emblematic system for studies on regulation of gene activity. In plants, these responses involve both biochemical and developmental changes that improve Pi acquisition and recycling, and protect against the stress of Pi starvation. The induction of Pi starvation responses requires a sophisticated regulatory system that integrates information on external and internal plant Pi concentration, and on other nutrient content. Our aim is to contribute to the dissection of this regulatory system, which operates mainly at the transcriptional level but also involves post-transcriptional control.