SEED GRANT: GREEN LEAF VOLATILE REGULATION OF CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM AS A KEY ELEMENT IN COLD PROTECTION.

Based on these data we hypothesize that GLV "prime" plants against cold stress, in particular during the night when temperatures often drop significantly and that this "cold priming" enhances cold resistance under those conditions. We further hypothesize that the sequential activation of carbohydrate metabolism plays a key role in this response. The goal of this Seed Grant proposal is therefore the biochemical and molecular characterization of GLV-regulated carbohydrate metabolism under normal and cold stress conditions as proof of concept for our hypotheses by addressing the following objectives:Objective 1: To characterize expression of key genes for GLV- and cold-induced carbohydrate metabolism.Objective 2: To correlate enzyme activities of key proteins for carbohydrate metabolism with GLV and cold treatments.Objective 3: To analyze corresponding changes in carbohydrate metabolites in response to GLV and cold treatment.