ASGSB 1999 Annual Meeting Abstracts

REGULATION AND FUNCTIONS OF CALMODULIN-RELATED TCH2. E. McCormack, K.A. Johnson, and J. Braam. Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University, Houston.

TCH2 was isolated because of its rapid and strong upregulation of expression in touch-stimulated plants. To investigate the potential functions of TCH2, we have determined characteristics of the encoded protein and the pattern of TCH2::reporter gene expression in developing plants. TCH2 encodes a calmodulin-related protein and expression correlates with sites of mechanical strain and cell expansion. In addition, TCH2::GUS reporters are expressed strongly in guard cells suggesting a role for TCH2 in stomatal aperture regulation. Transgenics with altered regulation of TCH2 expression show defects in guard cell turgor responses.

(Supported by NASA:NAGW5007 and NIH Biotechnology Training Grant 5T32GM08362)

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