Constructing a Yeast-1-Hybrid to Analyze Leaf Senescence Regulation in Medicago truncatula

Constructing a Yeast-1-Hybrid to Analyze Leaf Senescence Regulation in Medicago truncatula

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Fryar, Laura

Cyrus, Salazar

Garcia, Christina (Mentor)

English

Leaf senescence is a late process in plant development when cells are broken down and nutrients are transported to other parts in the plant and has important applications in agriculture. Previous research has indicated that the asparagine-synthetase 1 gene (AS1) and two transcription factors of the MADSBox gene family are upregulated during senescence in the legume plant Medicago truncatula. By constructing a yeast-1-hybrid assay of these transcription factors and the AS1 gene, it can be determined if these transcription factors are involved in the regulation of senescence and nutrient mobilization in legume plants. Results indicate that half of the control yeast-1-hybrid system has been successfully constructed, providing groundwork to complete the control yeast-1-hybrid and begin constructing the assay with the AS1 gene and transcription factors.