Aureochromes in Phaeodactylum

Shvaita Madhuri

Recent genome sequencing projects revealed that diatoms possess aureochromes (AUREOs), which are blue light receptors and transcription factors possessing a bZIP and a LOV domain. So far they only were found in the group of heterokont algae and are missing in red/green algae and land plants.In this project, we want to study the function of AUREOs in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and examine blue light effects. For this purpose we will characterize the influence of blue light on physiology and development in wild-type cells as well as in cells with over-expressed or silenced AUREOs.