Elizabeth Weretilnyk, McMaster University
Biology
Professor
Hamilton, Ontario
weretil@mcmaster.ca
Office:
(905) 525-9140 ext. 24573
(905) 525-9140 ext. 27995
Bio/Research
Plants undergo many physiological, developmental and metabolic changes upon exposure to adverse environmental conditions. We are using biochemical, molecular biological and genomic approaches to identify and study those metabolic changes which enable a plant to tolerate conditions of environmenta...
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Bio/Research
Plants undergo many physiological, developmental and metabolic changes upon exposure to adverse environmental conditions. We are using biochemical, molecular biological and genomic approaches to identify and study those metabolic changes which enable a plant to tolerate conditions of environmental stress, particularly osmotic stress.
One strategy adopted by bacteria, algae and plants growing in drought or saline conditions involves the synthesis and accumulation of osmotically active compatible organic solutes. These solutes help establish the driving force for water uptake by organisms growing under water-limiting conditions. While many "osmolytes" have been identified in higher plants, the means by which plants synthesize, accumulate, and compartmentalize these metabolites is not well understood. My research involves the use of biochemical and molecular genetic techniques in order to identify and then characterize the pathways by which drought and salt tolerant plants synthesize compatible solutes. Biochemical studies of the enzymes involved in solute accumulation and molecular genetic analysis of the factors that regulate the expression of the genes encoding these enzymes may provide some insight into how plants first perceive and then respond to changes in their environment.
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One strategy adopted by bacteria, algae and plants growing in drought or saline conditions involves the synthesis and accumulation of osmotically active compatible organic solutes. These solutes help establish the driving force for water uptake by organisms growing under water-limiting conditions. While many "osmolytes" have been identified in higher plants, the means by which plants synthesize, accumulate, and compartmentalize these metabolites is not well understood. My research involves the use of biochemical and molecular genetic techniques in order to identify and then characterize the pathways by which drought and salt tolerant plants synthesize compatible solutes. Biochemical studies of the enzymes involved in solute accumulation and molecular genetic analysis of the factors that regulate the expression of the genes encoding these enzymes may provide some insight into how plants first perceive and then respond to changes in their environment.
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