Biotic Interactions in Plant Science Session: Adam Mott
Talk title: “The Evolution and Expression of Plant Cell Surface Receptors”
Talk abstract: The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase family is the largest group of receptor-like kinases in plants, with over 220 members identified in Arabidopsis. While the majority of these receptors remain functionally uncharacterized, several have been linked to key processes such as plant growth, development, and stress responses, including immune activation. The large size, functional diversity, and frequent pleiotropy and redundancy of this family present significant challenges in identifying novel receptors involved in biotic stress responses. To address this, our lab has employed evolutionary and phylogenomic approaches to streamline the prediction of biological functions for these receptor genes. Examining the expansion of LRR-RLK subfamilies across plant evolution, we found evidence of lineage specific expansions driven primarily by tandem duplication, evidence that these receptors may play roles in stress adaptation. A comprehensive examination of LRR-RLK diversity in Arabidopsis uncovered notable presence-absence variation and evidence of selective pressures in these same groups, further supporting their involvement in stress responses. The candidate receptors identified through these approaches are then refined using computational analyses of gene expression and protein-protein interaction data. Ongoing experimental work in the lab validates these predictions, providing deeper insights into the roles of these receptors in integrating and responding to environmental signals critical for plant survival.
Bio: Adam Mott is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto – Scarborough. His lab is broadly interested in how plants recognize and respond to biotic and other stresses. The lab combines bioinformatics, evolutionary biology, and cell and molecular biology to study the cell surface receptors that plants use to perceive their environment, and the network of signaling responses that lie downstream of these receptors. Their ultimate goal is a more complete understanding of these processes, allowing the engineering of highly productive and resistant crops.
Website: http://www.themottlab.com