Diserdostasis: A Rheostat for Cellular Quiescence and Ageing

Some plant cells have the unique ability to stay in “quiescence” that can last millennia; and yet, plant cells can exit quiescence and start diving to replace damaged cells regenerating tissues.

It is still, however, a lingering question of how plants can maintain such long-lived quiescent cell populations; answering this query can have critical ramifications.We found that in Arabidopsis, quiescence depends on a “rheostat” able to sense protein disorder and includes proteases that assemble into droplets through a new interaction code of RNA-proteins we have determined.

This rheostat, sequesters and removes toxic proteins thereby increasing lifespan; if it does not work, then cells enter a faulty regeneration program.We assume that this mechanism modulates quiescence/regeneration balance; to test this, we will use Arabidopsis seeds which we have established as a model to study quiescence.

Our objectives are 1. Chart protein-RNA interactions and activities of the identified proteolytic assemblies; 2. Trace them with novel probes; 3.

Redesign proteolytic droplets to target quiescence and regeneration, through genetic tools and by targeting the new protein-RNA interaction code we have identified.

We will thus use our methods in omics, informatics, and advanced imaging supported by a 5-member team (4-years).We thus will understand how quiescence/regeneration balance can be modulated and provide direct proof for the ability of cells to “sense” and respond to protein disorder.