The Arabidopsis gp91-Phox Gene Family and NADPH Oxidase Function

这个项目将研究植物如何应对细菌和真菌病原体的感染。病原体和害虫会导致主要农作物的损失，因此了解植物免疫系统是如何工作的具有重要的理论和实践意义。特别是，该项目将分析帮助遭受攻击的植物细胞向邻近植物细胞发出信号以启动适当防御反应的蛋白质。使用的信号是普通氧的衍生物，一种被称为超氧化物的氧自由基。超氧化物是由一种名为NADPH氧化酶的酶在植物细胞外表面产生的。编码这种酶的基因是该项目的重点。这项研究将使用遗传学、生物化学和细胞生物学的工具来了解超氧化物的产生对感染的反应的调节。该项目的重点是一种名为拟南芥的模式植物物种，但这些研究得出的结果直接适用于农作物。预期的结果还将描述其他蛋白质，这些蛋白质的作用是调节超氧化物的产生，并增加对植物细胞如何感知超氧化物的理解。这项工作的更广泛影响将是培养植物分子生物学的博士后、博士和本科生研究人员。此外，该中心亦会向公众人士讲解植物生物学及食物基因改造的知识。

This project will study how plants respond to infection by bacterial and fungal pathogens. Pathogens and pests cause major crop loses and therefore an understanding of how the Plant Immune System works is of both intellectual and practical importance. In particular, this project will analyze the proteins that help plant cells under attack signal neighboring plant cells to initiate appropriate defense responses. The signal that is used is a derivative of common oxygen, an oxygen radical called superoxide. Superoxide is generated on the outer surface of the plant cell by an enzyme called NADPH oxidase. The genes encoding this enzyme are the focus of the project. The research will use tools of genetics, biochemistry and cell biology to understand the regulation of superoxide production in response to infection. The project focuses on a model plant species called Arabidopsis thaliana, but results derived from these studies are directly applicable to crop plants. The expected results will also describe other proteins whose action regulates the production of superoxide and add to the understanding of how plant cells sense superoxide. The Broader Impacts of this work will be to train post-doctoral, doctoral and undergraduate researchers in plant molecular biology. In addition the PI will present lectures to the general public on plant biology and genetic modification of foods.