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Integrated Omics Investigation of the Gravitropic Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights From Spaceflight and Ground-Based Experiments

Olanrewaju, Gbolaga Oluwasegun
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2453-6144
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1729773863251527

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Molecular and Cellular Biology (Arts and Sciences).
Gravity is a fundamental driving force of plant evolution, profoundly influencing numerous developmental and growth processes in plants. Gravity’s most evident impact is the provision of directional cues to germinating seeds, guiding the roots downward and shoots upward. Known as gravitropism, this directional response to gravity is crucial to plants’ overall health and productivity. Although biochemical and physiological studies have identified key ionic, chemical, and genetic factors involved in gravitropic signaling, the coordination of these actors remains poorly understood. Recent advances in omics technologies and the emergence of ways to isolate the effects of gravity on plants such as spaceflight experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS), ground-based simulated gravities using clinostat and random positioning machines, and simple reorientation experiments have provided opportunities to investigate the molecular intricacies of this signaling cascade. Hence, this dissertation utilized both transcriptomics and proteomics to investigate gravitropic signaling in Arabidopsis plants during spaceflight in the Biological Research In Canister – Light Emitting Diode (BRIC LED) hardware. The results revealed key adaptive responses to the spaceflight environment, including destabilization and rearrangement of cell wall components, increased metabolic energy demands, and hypersensitivity of the photosystem. These adaptations were accompanied by a lack of direct correlation between transcriptomics and proteomics datasets, prompting further analysis using statistical and machine learning models. It was found that comparisons at the metabolic pathways level provided more comprehensive insights than simple gene-to-protein correlations. In addition, a meta-analysis of four existing plant proteomics datasets from spaceflight experiments aboard the ISS was conducted to assess variability. Factors such as spaceflight hardware, seedling age, lighting conditions, and proteomic quantification methods were identified as significant sources of variation. By comparing datasets with different light exposures, proteins involved in photomorphogenesis and skotomorphogenesis were identified, alongside those specifically responsive to microgravity or other spaceflight conditions. The dissertation concludes with time-course proteomics and phosphoproteomics studies that explore early, mid, and late phases of gravitropic signaling in Arabidopsis roots following reorientation. This work highlights whole organismal molecular dynamics of the gravitropic signaling pathway, contributing to a deeper understanding of plant adaptation to spaceflight and gravity-related stimuli, with implications for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial agriculture.
Sarah Wyatt (Advisor)
Michael Held (Committee Member)
Erin Murphy (Committee Member)
Allan Showalter (Committee Member)
418 p.
Bioinformatics; Cellular Biology; Molecular Biology; Plant Biology
Spaceflight; Transcriptomics; Proteomics; Arabidopsis; Multi-omics; Gravitropism; ISS

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Olanrewaju, G. O. (2024). Integrated Omics Investigation of the Gravitropic Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights From Spaceflight and Ground-Based Experiments [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1729773863251527

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Olanrewaju, Gbolaga. Integrated Omics Investigation of the Gravitropic Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights From Spaceflight and Ground-Based Experiments. 2024. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1729773863251527.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Olanrewaju, Gbolaga. "Integrated Omics Investigation of the Gravitropic Signaling Pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights From Spaceflight and Ground-Based Experiments." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1729773863251527

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.
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