Selected publications:

• The leaf sheath promotes prolonged flooding protection by giving rise to specialized adventitious roots.
  Maric A, Hartman S.
  New Phytologist 2023. (in press).
• In my own time: A non–cell-autonomous circadian regulation in plant cells.
  Ugalde JM, Maric A.
  Plant Physiology. 2023; kiad303.
• Beyond the genetics of flowering: Integration of ethylene signaling and histone methylation controls flowering time.
  Maric A.
  Plant Physiology. 2023; kiad230.
• Hit the acceleration petal: Methylation as a mediator of ethylene-induced petal senescence.
  Maric A.
  Plant Physiology. 2023; kiad116.
• Ethylene controls translational gatekeeping to overcome flooding stress in plants.
  Maric A, Hartman S.
  The EMBO Journal. 2022; 41: e112282.
• Chromatin Dynamics and Transcriptional Control of Circadian Rhythms in Arabidopsis.
  Maric A, Mas P.
  Genes. 2020; 11(10): 1170.
• Interactome Analysis and Docking Sites of MutS Homologs Reveal New Physiological Roles in Arabidopsis thaliana.
  AbdelGawwad MR, Maric A, Al-Ghamdi AA, Hatamleh AA.
  Molecules. 2019; 24(13): 2493.
• Analysis of DNA damage-binding proteins (DDBs) in Arabidopsis thaliana and their protection of the plant from UV radiation.
  Abdel Gawwad MR, Kadunic A, Adilovic M, Hamzi Kaljanac A and Maric A.
  Current Proteomics. 2017; 14(2): 146.

Dissecting interaction between the circadian clock and flooding stress

Induced by climate change, weather extremes are an ever-growing problem for biodiversity as well as food security worldwide. With dire predictions for an increasing number of flooding events, basic plant research has to find effective responses to grow more resistant crops and feed the growing global population. Plant response to flooding relies on the accumulation of ethylene, the only known gaseous hormone. Simultaneously, ethylene is regulated through the circadian clock. Circadian clock is a widespread biological timekeeping molecular mechanism, that allows plants to track and predict daily environmental changes caused by the earth´s rotation. The ethylene hormone levels oscillate during the day and peak at noon. However, the role of ethylene oscillations has not been well described. Moreover, with this project, I would like to dissect the pattern of circadian ethylene emissions under flooding stress applied at different times of the day. This project will be the basis for the future engineering of more resilient plants, able to survive recurring stresses.