Boost for protein and plant research at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the new Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1664 "Diversity of Plant Proteoforms - SNP2Prot". The university will receive around 12.5 million euros for the first funding period, which will last just under four years.

What effect do small changes in the genome have?

At the centre of the research projects is the question of how tiny changes in the genome - so-called point mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - contribute to genomic diversity on a large scale. These SNPs lead to different proteoforms, i.e. different forms of a protein, which in turn can help plants to adapt to different environmental conditions.

In addition to MLU, the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) and Leipzig University are involved in the new SFB. "Protein biochemistry and plant research are among the scientific specialisations of Martin Luther University. Our researchers are doing outstanding work in each of these areas. The new SFB will now take their work to an even higher level," says MLU Rector Claudia Becker. The DFG has approved all 17 proposed sub-projects of the SFB. Part of this is an integrated research training group for up to 27 doctoral students. There are also nine additional positions for postdocs.

How mutations influence protein structure

The SFB 1664 thematically links protein and plant research: the focus is on tiny changes in the genetic material of plants, which sometimes have considerable consequences. In barley, for example, a mutation at a single point in the genome changes the time at which the plants flower. This is because the plant's genetic material acts as a blueprint for proteins that control all of the plant's important processes. A single deviation in the genetic code can change the structure of a protein and thus lead to different properties. "Too little is known in detail about the influence these naturally occurring mutations have on the structure of proteins and thus on their function," says plant scientist and SFB spokesperson Marcel Quint from MLU.

Structural biology and bioinformatics also involved

The research utilises methods from plant and structural biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics. A deeper understanding of these naturally occurring point mutations and their consequences is relevant for many areas: "We want to understand what nature does so that we can utilise this knowledge in a targeted manner at a later stage," says Quint. Plant breeding, for example, could benefit from this when it comes to arming crops against the consequences of climate change. The results could also help to improve the production of plant-based ingredients.

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