Presidential Young Investigator Award

这是总统青年研究员奖。布罗德博士研究的长期目标是了解高等植物对环境胁迫的细胞生物学反应。研究的模型系统是大麦籽粒糊粉层的热激响应。这种组织的细胞通常专门用于蛋白质分泌；然而，热休克戏剧性地改变了它们的细胞活动。当组织受到热休克时，分泌性蛋白质的合成突然停止，而非分泌性蛋白质的合成仍在继续。这是通过选择性地破坏其他稳定的分泌蛋白mrna来实现的。热休克还会导致内质网板层结构的丧失，而分泌蛋白mrna是在内质网板层结构上被翻译的；只剩下少量的ER片段。这似乎提供了选择性停止分泌蛋白合成的歧视性机制，因为非分泌蛋白mrna不被er结合的核糖体翻译。Brodl博士将继续并扩展他对这些热休克诱发事件的分子和细胞基础的研究。该研究计划将为内质网的细胞生物学提供新的见解，并揭示热休克过程中调节蛋白表达的机制。这些努力最终将有助于更好地理解植物如何应对和适应压力。

This is a Presidential Young Investigator Award. The long-term goal of Dr. Brodl's research is to understand the cell biology of higher plant responses to environmental stress. The model system for investigation is the heat shock response of the aleurone layer of barley grains. The cells of this tissue are normally dedicated to protein secretion; however, heat shock dramatically redirects their cellular activities. The synthesis of secretory proteins is abruptly arrested when the tissue is subjected to heat shock, yet the synthesis of nonsecretory proteins continues. This is accomplished by the selective destabilization of otherwise stable secretory protein mRNAs. Heat shock also causes the loss of endoplasmic reticulum lamellar structures upon which secretory protein mRNAs are translated; only small fragments of ER remain. This appears to provide the discriminatory mechanism for selectively stopping the synthesis of secretory proteins, as nonsecretory protein mRNAs are not translated by ER-bound ribosomes. Dr. Brodl will continue and extend his studies of the molecular and cellular basis for these heat shock-induced events. This research program should provide insights into the cell biology of ER, as well as reveal mechanisms for regulating protein expression during heat shock. These efforts will ultimately build a better understanding of how plants respond and adapt to stress.