Plant Molecular Cell Biology

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Frank

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+49 89 2180 74670

Wolfgang Frank

E02.001

Research

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Molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress adaptation

Plants are sessile organisms that cannot escape from adverse environmental conditions. In order to ensure their survival in nature, they have therefore developed specific mechanisms that enable them to adapt to stress. We investigate these mechanisms at the molecular level to uncover the genetic, biochemical and physiological processes that underlie the high degree of tolerance of mosses to abiotic stress. We focus on the identification of genes that that have an essential role in the acquisition of stress tolerance. These proteins are members of particular stress-associated signaling pathways or exert their function in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis.

Biogenesis and function of non-coding RNAs

Protein encoding genes only account for a minor portion of the genome. However, almost the complete genome is transcribed into RNA suggesting that the vast majority of transcripts belong to different classes of non-coding RNA. We focus on biogenesis pathways of different classes of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) and their function in the control of gene expression. They act as important regulators of gene expression in many fundamental biological processes controlling the expression of their target genes at the transcriptional post-transcriptional level (RNA interference, RNAi). We are also interested in the evolution of different sRNA classes and their cognate regulatory networks. The knowledge of sRNA biogenesis and function further can be exploited for biotechnological applications.

Methods and Approaches

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We use the bryophyte Physcomitrium patens and the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha as model organsisms. We focus on the generation of targeted gene mutants by homologous recombination approaches as well as CRISPR/Cas-mediated mutagenesis. We apply molecular biology techniques such as RNAseq, and physiological and biochemical techniques to understand the regulatory functions of non-coding RNA as well as the mechanisms of stress adaptation at the molecular level.

Key publications

Csicsely, E., Oberender, A., Georgiadou, A.-S., Alz, J., Kiel, S., Gutsche, N., Zachgo, S., Grünert, J., Klingl, A., Top, O., and Frank W. (2025) Identification and characterization of DICER-LIKE genes and their roles in Marchantia polymorpha development and salt stress response. The Plant J. 121, e17236, doi:10.1111/tpj.17236

Arif, M.A., Top, O., Csicsely, E., Lichtenstern, M., Beheshti, H., Adjabi K., and Frank, W. (2022) DICER-LIKE1a autoregulation based on intronic microRNA processing is required for stress adaptation in Physcomitrium patens. The Plant J. 109(1), 227-240 | doi:10.1111/TPJ.15570

Habermann, K., Tiwari, B., Krantz, M., Adler, S. O., Klipp, E., Arif, M. A. and Frank, W. (2020). Identification of small non-coding RNAs responsive to GUN1 and GUN5 related retrograde signals in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 104, 135-155 |doi: 10.1111/tpj.14912.

Khraiwesh, B., Arif, M.A., Seumel, G.I., Ossowski, S., Weigel, D., Reski, R., Frank, W. (2010) Transcriptional control of gene expression by microRNAs. Cell 140, 111-122.

Qudeimat, E., Faltusz, A.M.C., Wheeler, G., Lang, D., Brownlee, C., Reski, R., Frank, W. (2008) A PIIB-type Ca2+-ATPase is essential for stress adaptation in Physcomitrella patens. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 19555-19560.