Light-induced chloroplast movements in Arabidopsis

在所有的绿色植物中，包括藻类、苔藓、蕨类植物和被子植物，都观察到光依赖的叶绿体运动。这些叶绿体运动似乎是一种快速的机制，可以随着环境中光强的变化而微调光合生产力。具体来说，在昏暗的光线下，叶绿体向细胞的上下表面运动可以改善光捕获，而在强光条件下，叶绿体向细胞的两侧运动可以保护细胞免受光损伤。本提案中概述的实验结合了遗传学，分子和生理学的方法来理解叶绿体运动的机制。建议的工作将集中在两个新基因的功能，这两个基因最近被确定为叶绿体运动发生所必需的。该研究有望阐明运动的运动机制，并为所涉及的信号转导途径的性质提供新的见解。了解光诱导的叶绿体运动是如何在分子水平上受到控制的，将有助于了解光合潜能和植物生产力如何最大化。该项目还将为一名博士后、一名研究生提供培训，并为本科生提供获得实践研究经验的机会。

Award AbstractLight-dependent chloroplast movements have been observed in all green plants including alga, moss, ferns, and angiosperms. These chloroplast movements appear to serve as a rapid mechanism to fine-tune photosynthetic productivity as light intensity varies in the environment. Specifically, movement of chloroplasts to the upper and lower surfaces of cells of a leaf in dim light may improve light capture, whereas chloroplast movement to the sides of cells when the light intensity is high may protect them from photodamage. The experiments outlined in this proposal incorporate a combination of genetic, molecular and physiological approaches to understand the mechanism of chloroplast movements. The proposed work will focus on the function of two novel genes that were recently identified as essential for chloroplast movements to occur. The research is expected to elucidate the motility mechanism(s) responsible for the movement and provide new insight into the nature of the signal transduction pathway involved. Understanding how light-induced chloroplast movements are controlled at the molecular level will contribute to understanding how photosynthetic potential and plant productivity may be maximized. The project will also provide training to a postdoctoral fellow, a graduate student and opportunities for undergraduate students to gain hands-on research experiences.