Peptide Signaling for Plant Defense

本研究的目的是研究在番茄和拟南芥植物中发现的新的肽防御信号的特性，这些信号在增强植物的防御系统以增强对病原体和害虫的抗性中起重要作用。直到1991年Ryan和他的同事们在番茄叶片中发现了一种叫做系统素的防御肽，人们才知道这种肽信号是植物信号的组成部分。目前已知有超过20种肽信号调节着防御和发育。Ryan实验室开发了一种新的、快速的、简单的检测方法，可以识别植物提取物中的新肽信号。该实验发现了几种新的肽信号，用于植物的防御和发育，包括一种叫做AtPep1的肽，它可以增强植物对病原体的先天免疫反应。编码肽的基因是一个基因家族的成员，在整个植物界的物种中都有发现。以番茄和拟南芥为模型系统，采用生化、分子和遗传方法来理解肽信号的作用。将研究多肽及其前体基因在植物中的定位，以及如何从前体蛋白产生多肽并被植物细胞感知以激活防御基因以应对食草动物和/或病原体的攻击。增强植物防御反应的多肽为理解植物的先天免疫提供了新的视角，这是植物对大多数攻击生物的最早反应。所获得的知识将有助于在植物界支配肽信号的基本原则的框架。这些信息将有助于了解植物和动物中的防御肽信号，并将在育种和生物技术方法中特别有用，以提高主要农作物的产量。这项拨款的一个主要组成部分是培训本科生和研究生、博士后研究员和访问科学家进行基础研究，这些研究可以应用于农业和人类健康。在这个项目的任期内，PI将继续成功地将妇女和少数民族引入我的实验室。

The objectives of this research are to investigate the properties of novel peptidedefense signals discovered in tomato and Arabidopsis plants that have important rolesin amplifying the defense systems of the plants to strengthen the resistances againstpathogens and insect pests. Until the discovery of the defense peptide called systeminin tomato leaves in 1991 by Ryan and colleagues, no peptide signals were known to becomponents of plant signaling. Over 20 peptide signals are now known that regulateboth defense and development. A novel, rapid, and simple assay has been developedin the Ryan laboratory that can identify new peptide signals in plant extracts. Thisassay has allowed the discovery of several new peptide signals for both plant defenseand development including a peptide called AtPep1 that enhances the innate immuneresponses of the plants against pathogens. The gene encoding the peptide is amember of a gene family that is found in species throughout the plant kingdom.Biochemical, molecular, and genetic approaches will be carried out to understand therole of peptide signals using tomato and Arabidopsis plants as model systems. Thelocalization of the peptides and their precursor genes in plants will be studied, and howthe peptides are produced from precursor proteins and perceived by plant cells toactivate defensive genes in response to herbivores and/or pathogen attacks will beinvestigated. The peptides that enhance plant defense responses have provided newinsights toward an understanding of innate immunity in plants, which are the earliestresponses of plants in response to most attacking organisms. The knowledge gainedwill contribute to the framework of the basic principles that govern peptide signaling inthe plant kingdom. Such information will contribute to an understanding of defensepeptide signaling in both plants and animals, and will be especially useful in breedingand biotechnological approaches to enhance yields in major agricultural crops. A majorcomponent of this grant is to train undergraduate and graduate students as well aspostdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists in fundamentals research that can be appliedto agriculture and human health. The PI's successful ongoing efforts to bring women and minorities into my laboratory will continue through the tenure of this project.