Analysis of succinate dehydrogenase subunit 1 in mitochondrial plant stress signaling and investigation of SDHAF4 as a new assembly factor for SDH1

Plants are sessile organisms and as such are exposed to many kinds of environments and pathogens that cause stress. Therefore, an efficient plant stress response to these abiotic or biotic threats is important. Within this thesis, the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and in particular the SDH1 subunit was found to be involved in plant stress signaling. Stress response to the chemical signal salicylic acid was decreased in SDH1 mutant plants. To ensure functional stress response, SDH1 needs to be assembled correctly into the SDH halo-complex. A new protein in SDH1 assembly machinery in plants was discovered.