Inês Filipa Duarte Nunes (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
Inês Nunes's Master thesis was awarded with the Prize for the Best Plant Science Master Thesis, which was carried out at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) in the year 2024 with the title:
Gaining new insight into Plastid Envelope Ion Channel function by studying PEC1 gain-of-function mutants
Nunes investigated the effects of a PEC1 gain-of-function mutant, potentially linking defects in photosynthesis, and rRNA maturation to plastid ion homeostasis
This study explored the role of the plastid ion channel PEC1 through analysis of the pPEC1-mV gain-of-function mutant, focusing on its effects on photosynthesis and ion homeostasis in plastids. The pPEC1-mV mutant displayed a distinct virescent phenotype and impaired photosynthesis, linked to reduced expression of photosynthesis-related proteins, as revealed through RNA-Seq and immunoblot analyses. Whether these effects are due to altered PEC1 channel function—potentially affected by the large fluorescent tag—or disrupted PEC1/2 protein interactions that impair complex formation remains unclear. Through a suppressor screen, we also identified a previously uncharacterized cation channel-like protein that could modulate pPEC1-mV phenotypes, presenting a promising target for future studies. This work provides valuable insights into the regulation of plastid ion homeostasis and its influence on chloroplast function.
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Inês Nunes conducted this work at the Institute of Biology at LMU Munich in the working group of Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning Kunz.
