PhD Student
IISER Kolkata, India
I, Vikas Garhwal, I have been working on Arabidopsis for the past five years as part of my Ph.D. research under Dr. Sreeramaiah N. Gangappa at the Department of Biological Sciences, IISER Kolkata, India.
My research focuses on studying the role of MYC transcription factors in light-mediated photomorphogenesis. Photomorphogenesis is the process by which light influences the growth and development of plants. Light is a crucial factor in the survival and adaptation of plants to their environment. MYC transcription factors play a critical role in coordinating growth and defense responses. MYCs control various developmental processes, such as seed germination, seedling photomorphogenesis, and flowering, and play a critical role in imparting stress tolerance in plants. MYCs exert their function through gene regulation and protein-protein interactions. MYCs are conserved across eukaryotes, including humans: MYC protein dysfunction has been linked to various forms of cancer in animals and humans. However, their role in diverse signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms is poorly understood in plants, including light-mediated photomorphogenesis. Especially how MYC family proteins coordinate among themselves in the regulation of photomorphogenesis needs to be understood at the mechanistic level. Using genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches, I have investigated MYC transcription factors' role in Arabidopsis thaliana.
My research has shown that MYC transcription factors are critical in regulating seedling photomorphogenesis. We found that MYC proteins show differential genetic interaction among themselves and with key light signaling components such as HY5 and COP1. Further, I have identified several novel MYC transcription factor-target genes involved in these processes and have begun investigating their downstream signaling pathways. Overall, my research findings have provided novel insights into the regulation of plant growth and development by MYCs.