Study of moss vacuoles and functional characterization of the putative vacuolar receptors: the RMR proteins

The vacuolar system of plants is a key element of plant growth and development, it fulfils many other functions. Plant cell can have more than two different vacuolar sorting systems: the lytic and the (seed) protein storage or vegetative storage vacuoles. Soluble vacuolar proteins are sorted through the secretory pathway to these vacuoles by three different routes, depending on different types of Vacuolar Sorting Determinants (VSD) and involving several types of receptors and vesicles. The AtRMR proteins has been identified in cellular structures associated with the seed storage vacuole pathway (Jiang et al. 2000). Based on its localisation and homology to a known vacuolar receptor, it has been hypothesised to be a receptor protein for the C-terminal type of VSD (ct-VSD) involved in sorting to the storage vacuole. The genome of <i>Physcomitrella patens</i> contains five genes coding for RMR proteins. <br> My work hypothesis is that the vacuolar system of higher plants has evolved from simple ancestors, which might have been preserved in lower plants. This evolution is reflected in the gene families involved in vacuole biogenesis. In a first part, we established the moss <i>P. patens</i> as a model system for the study of the secretory pathways. In a second part, we performed a comparative study of the plant-specific aspects of the vacuolar system. And finally in a third part, we tried to establish the functional role of PpRMR genes by the analysis of the complete RMR deletion mutants. Several strategies were considered to investigate a putative disorder due to RMRs loss of function. So far, no phenotype was detected in the mutants. Nevertheless the absence of the RMR family gene seems not to be necessary for moss development.

Thèse de doctorat : Université de Neuchâtel, 2012