[SEMINAR] Unraveling developmental and immune networks using integrated omic profiling

Abstract:

Integrated molecular atlases make possible systems biology approaches aimed at understanding biological phenomena.  I will discuss the generation and analysis of a large-scale atlas quantifying mRNA levels, protein abundance and phosphorylation state in maize, which is unparalleled in its depth and scope.  In addition to describing complex spatiotemporal patterns of gene activity the atlas has enabled generation and interrogation of a number of different types of regulatory networks including mRNA and protein co-expression networks, a gene regulatory network (GRN) and a novel kinase-substrate network. I will also present my group’s work to vastly improve mass spectrometry based methods to quantitatively profile protein acetylation in plants. To highlight how acetylome data can lead to biological insight I will discuss our work examining the maize innate immune response to the highly virulent fungal pathogen Cochliobolus carbonum.  Specifically, this work focuses on how HC-toxin, a naturally occurring histone deacetylase inhibitor, promotes pathogen virulence towards maize. These studies highlight the complex interplay of transcriptional, translational and post-translational events in dynamically remodeling the proteome.