Role of FHY3 and FAR1 in transcriptional regulation of phytochrome A signaling in Arabidopsis

项目摘要PI：海阳WangCo-Pi：Matthew Hudson Proposal number：IOS-0641639 Proposal标题：FHY3和FAR1在拟南芥光敏色素A信号转录调控中的作用植物利用一组光感受器来感知周围的光环境，进行适应性的生长和发育。光敏色素A(PhyA)是高等植物中介导各种远红光诱导反应的主要光感受器。现在人们普遍认为，PHHA的光激活启动了一系列信号转导，导致了调控基因的表达变化和随后的光形态发生发展。FHY3和FAR1是两个与Mudra类转座酶有显著氨基酸相似性的同源蛋白，它们定义了拟南芥中PhyA信号的两个重要的正调控因子。然而，它们的分子功能以及它们如何适应PhyA信号通路仍然难以捉摸。这个项目的中心目标是证实这样的假设，即FHY3和FAR1可能定义了一类新的转录调控因子，可能是从古老的突变子样转座子元件驯化而来的，这些转录调控因子在远红光下作用于细胞核，调节PhyA反应基因的表达和光形态建成。这三个目标是：1.鉴定FHY3和FAR1在植物细胞中的转录调控活性；2.确定它们的直接靶基因和功能特性；3.研究它们与光感受器PhyA的功能关系。这些研究的结果将有助于更好地理解FHY3和FAR1在调节PhyA介导的基因表达中的作用，并为建立一个连贯的PhyA信号通路提供关键信息。这项工作预计将产生更广泛的影响，包括培训不同水平的科学家，从本科生到研究生和博士后研究员。PI还将参与当地高中教师的培训，并在当地小学课堂上介绍由印第安纳大学罗杰·P·汉加特教授创作的《运动中的植物》电影，向小学生传授植物对光和其他环境信号的反应。

Project Abstract PI: Haiyang WangCo-PI: Matthew HudsonProposal Number: IOS-0641639Proposal Title: Role of FHY3 and FAR1 in transcriptional regulation of phytochrome A signaling in ArabidopsisPlants use an array of photoreceptors to sense the ambient light environment and undergo adaptive growth and development. Phytochrome A (phyA) is the primary photoreceptor for mediating various far-red light induced responses in higher plants. It is widely accepted now that photo-activation of phyA initiates a signal transduction cascade that leads to regulated gene expression change and subsequent photomorphogenic development. FHY3 and FAR1, two homologous proteins that share significant amino acid similarities with the MuDRA class of transposases, define two essential positive regulators of phyA signaling in Arabidopsis. However, their molecular function and how they fit in the phyA signaling pathway have remained elusive. The central goal of this project is substantiate the hypothesis that FHY3 and FAR1 may define a novel class of transcriptional regulators, possibly domesticated from an ancient Mutator-like transposable element, that act in the nucleus to regulate phyA-responsive gene expression and photomorphogenic development under far-red light. The three specific aims are: 1. To characterize the transcriptional regulatory activity of FHY3 and FAR1 in plant cells; 2. To identify their direct target genes and functional characterization; and 3. To investigate their functional relationship with the photoreceptor phyA. Results from these studies will lead to a better understanding of FHY3 and FAR1 in regulating phyA-mediated gene expression and add critical information toward establishing a coherent phyA signaling pathway. The broader impacts expected from this work include training of different levels of scientists, ranging from undergraduate students, to graduate students and postdoc fellows. The PI will also participate in the training of local high school teachers and introduce the "Plants-In-Motion" movies, which were created by Professor Roger P. Hangarter at Indiana University, in local elementary school classes to teach school children about plant responses to light and other environmental signals.