Dr Ho-Wei Wu

My research focuses on understanding the dynamics and coordination of the circadian clock in root development. The circadian clock integrates environmental signals across tissues and informs the gene regulatory network to express. Appropriate root growth provides a significant advantage by balancing the nutrient requirements between the shoot and the root. However, how the root circadian clock maintains its autonomy and integrates shoot-to-root circadian signals is less understood. I aim to quantify the dynamics and function of the core circadian clock genes at fine resolution and to investigate signal integration in clock synchronisation in roots. During my PhD, I revealed that the functional role of upstream open reading frames (uORFs)-mediated translational regulation is critical for reducing the gene expression noise. The timely expression of the circadian clock evening gene TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 (TOC1) requires endogenous uORFs to restrict protein expression for precise circadian clock phase and period length. This translational regulation is common among mRNAs of transcription factors and kinases in eukaryotes.