The research of our group is settled in the area of the molecular biology and physiology of plants. Especially, we are interested in the regulation of the gene expression by bZIP transcription factors, the big family of proteins found in eukaryotic organisms.

They are characterized by two highly conserved domains namely basic region, contributing to the DNA-binding and nuclear import of the protein, and so-called leucine zipper involved in protein dimerization. The bZIP factors regulate a wide range of molecular processes and participate in numerous response pathways in plants. Since the activity of the bZIP factors depends on intensive post-translational regulation, we focus our research on different aspects of such regulation including phosphorylation, dimerization, cellular localisation, interaction with other proteins, and nuclear transport. These post-translational regulatory mechanisms may, for instance, change the protein affinity to certain subsets of cis-elements or enable DNA-binding only in the context of other transcription factors or accessory proteins. The further interests of our group lie in the field of plant responses to environmental signals and abiotic stress factors.

We use different methods of the modern molecular biology, including light and fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, analysis of nucleic acids by Northern- and Southern-Blotting, real time RT-PCR, DNA cloning, expression of recombinant proteins, 1D and 2D protein gel analysis, liquid chromatography, yeast 2Hybrid and protoplast 2Hybrid analyses, as well as transient and stable transformation of the plants. The additional methods, which deliver important answers regarding the interaction, regulation and signal transduction of gene-regulatory networks, are the ELISA-based protein DNA interaction analysis and effector/reporter gene assay.