Manipulation of Plant Signaling by Bacterial Effector Proteins

植物是否对病原体有抵抗力取决于两种生物的基因组成。病原体产生的效应蛋白操纵植物的病原体的利益。植物产生抗性或R蛋白，其识别效应物并诱导限制病原体生长的防御。最近克隆的基因编码效应和R-蛋白，使他们的相互作用的分子和生物化学方法的机制研究。本研究以拟南芥及其病原细菌Pseudomonasaluminingae为研究对象。这些模式生物提供了丰富的工具，有助于回答基本的生物学问题，如：病原体如何更成功地寄生植物通过使用效应器来操纵它们？R蛋白如何使植物通过识别效应子和诱导防御反应来限制病原体的生长？具体来说，这项研究的重点是植物的一种蛋白质（RIN 4），它是多种细菌效应子的靶向蛋白。一个主要的焦点是确定细菌效应子如何靶向RIN 4增强细菌的毒力（或致病性）。RIN 4还调节响应这些效应物的R蛋白的功能。 第二个主要的焦点是确定如何操纵RIN 4，诱导效应蛋白，eliminates的R-proteines.This项目的活性是重要的，因为目前很少知道的致病效应和它们的目标之间的相互作用在植物中。对这些相互作用的基本理解将促进对病原体如何在植物中引起疾病以及植物如何抵抗病原体的理解。 这些信息最终将有助于通过传统育种努力或通过引入转基因来合理设计上级作物。 在分子水平上理解这些过程也将有助于合理设计新的化学品来控制作物疾病。这项研究的意义超出了病原体与植物的相互作用。病原体编码的效应子同样操纵动物宿主中的靶标，对植物中效应子作用的理解的进展将导致对所有生物体中这一过程的更好的基本理解。学生将接受培训，在这一领域进行研究。

Whether plants are resistant to pathogens depends on the genetic make-up of both organisms. Pathogens produce effector proteins that manipulate the plant for the pathogen's benefit. Plants produce resistance or R-proteins that recognize effectors and induce defenses that restrict pathogen growth. Recent cloning of genes encoding effectors and R-proteins enables mechanistic study of their interactions by molecular and biochemical methods. This research focuses on Arabidopsis thaliana plants and their bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. These model organisms offer a wealth of tools useful in answering fundamental biological questions, such as: How do pathogens more successfully parasitize plants by using effectors to manipulate them? How do R-proteins enable plants to restrict pathogen growth by recognizing effectors and inducing defense responses? Specifically, this research focuses on a protein of the plant (RIN4) that is targeted by multiple bacterial effectors. One major focus is to determine how targeting of RIN4 by bacterial effectors enhances the virulence (or pathogenicity) of the bacteria. RIN4 also regulates the function of R-proteins that respond to those effectors. A second major focus is to determine how manipulation of RIN4, induced by effector proteins, elicits the activity of R-proteins.This project is important because little is currently known about the interactions between pathogenic effectors and their targets in plants. Fundamental understanding of these interactions will advance understanding of how pathogens cause disease in plants and of how plants resist pathogens. This information will ultimately contribute to the rational design of superior crops by classical breeding efforts or by introduction of transgenes. Understanding these processes at the molecular level will also enable rational design of new chemicals to manage disease in crops. The significance of this research extends beyond the interaction of pathogens with plants. Pathogen encoded effectors similarly manipulate targets in animal hosts, and advances in understanding of effector action in plants will lead to a better fundamental understanding this process in all organisms. Students will be trained to conduct research in this field.