"Research Starter Grant :" Do glucosinolate hydrolysis products in Arabidopsis thaliana influence tritrophic interactions?

硫代葡萄糖苷是植物产生的一种次生化学物质，用来防御食草动物。这些化学物质存在于十字花科植物家族中，其中包括模式植物拟南芥，以及经济上重要的作物，如卷心菜和西兰花。通过机械损伤或咀嚼（咀嚼）破坏植物组织需要将硫代葡萄糖苷（通过酶水解）转化为生物活性产品，包括人类的植物防御和癌症保护。有证据表明，植物次生化合物也可能在吸引食肉昆虫（捕食者和拟寄生物）吃掉或寄生于食草昆虫中发挥作用；因此，为植物提供了一种额外的间接防御机制来对付食草昆虫。以野生十字花科植物a . thaliana为模型系统，本项目将在野外环境中评估硫代葡萄糖苷水解产物在植物/草食动物/食肉动物相互作用中的作用。由于拟南芥与许多作物共享相同的防御系统，这项研究可能会对农业生态系统产生影响，因为它可能会识别出对常见害虫更有毒性的植物化学混合物，同时对害虫的食肉敌人有更好的引诱剂。此外，该项目将包括培训两名学生（一名本科生和一名研究生），他们来自科学界代表性不足的群体，他们最近加入了PI的实验室。

Glucosinolates are secondary chemicals produced by plants as a defense against herbivores. These chemicals are found in the Cruciferae plant family, which includes the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as economically important crops such as cabbage and broccoli. Disruption of plant tissue by mechanical damage or mastication (chewing) is needed to transform glucosinolates (through enzymatic hydrolysis) into biologically active products, including plant defense and cancer protection in humans. There is some evidence that plant secondary compounds may also play a role in attracting carnivorous insects (predators and parasitoids) that consume or parasitize insect herbivores; thus, providing plants with an additional indirect defense mechanism to deal with insect herbivores. Using the wild crucifer, A. thaliana, as a model system, this project will evaluate the role of glucosinolate hydrolysis products on plant/herbivore/carnivore interactions in a field setting. Because A. thaliana shares the same defense system with many crops, this study may have implications for agroecosystems by potentially identifying plant chemical blends that are both more toxic to common insect pests and better attractants for carnivorous enemies of insect pests. In addition, this project will include the training of two students (one undergraduate and one graduate) from underrepresented groups in Science, who have recently joined the PI's laboratory.