Untangling the involvement of TRB1 in plant epigenetics
 

I developed a fascination with how nature works quite early on. This prompted me to do my Bachelor’s in Natural Sciences, with a focus on plant sciences, at the University of Cambridge in the UK. I decided to focus on plants because of their complexity, particularly at the molecular level.

Plants are able to integrate many different cues from the environment through elegant, yet complex signalling networks. These lead to the regulation of gene expression and epigenetic changes (molecular decorations on the DNA and histone proteins around which the DNA is wrapped, which are deposited by various protein complexes), and thereby enable the plant to respond to its environment.

Following on from my Bachelor’s, I did my Master’s in plant sciences in Düsseldorf, after which I arrived at the MPIPZ in October 2024 to start my PhD in the group of Franziska Turck, in the Department of Plant Developmental Biology.

In a nutshell, my project focuses on understanding the role of a protein called TELOMERE REPEAT BINDING FACTOR 1 (TRB1) in plant developmental transitions, in particular its influence on the timing of flowering, and the consequences of a lack of TRB1.

TRB1 appears to play a role in the expression of genes involved in protein synthesis – a topic that I will investigate further. The key question is whether a link can be established between these TRB1 functions. TRB1 can associate with the different protein complexes important in the deposition of epigenetic marks, thereby possibly acting as a linker between signal transduction following stimulus perception, such as nutrient availability, temperature or day length, and the output, in this case changes in gene expression following epigenetic change, which lead to a change in plant morphology.

Although I work on everyone’s favourite plant version of a mouse, Arabidopsis, my favourite plant has to be the pine tree. They look beautiful in the landscape, with fluffy needle canopies and rough tree trunks, and they have a very pleasant smell, particularly in hot weather. And pine cones make lovely decorations too! So, to conclude, since I was born in Israel, a little Hebrew lesson for dessert: madaey hatzemakh ze magniv! plant sciences is cool!