The Arabidopsis SNI1 Complex Regulates Both Gene Transcription and DNA Recombination During the Defense Response

系统性获得性抗性是植物的一种免疫反应，它赋予植物对广泛病原体的持久抗性。它由NPR1和SNI1控制，它们分别作为具有抗菌活性蛋白表达的“开”和“关”开关。病原体感染也会引发DNA重组的增加，以产生更好地适应选择压力的新性状。该项目的研究人员发现了几个影响抗菌基因表达和DNA重组的额外蛋白质，并表明它们与SNI1发生物理相互作用。通过该项目，这些研究人员将应用分子遗传学和基因组学方法研究SNI1蛋白复合物，并阐明该复合物在植物免疫应答过程中如何调节基因转录和DNA重组。该项目推动了所有高等生物中植物防御相关基因表达与染色体结构和功能研究之间的界限。例如，其中一种感兴趣的蛋白质是BRCA2，它与人类家族性乳腺癌有关。但BRCA2的分子功能尚不清楚。研究BRCA2在植物防御中的功能可能会揭示这种蛋白质的一般功能。该项目的成功还将对农业控制作物病害产生重大影响，并有利于项目环境的努力。该项目的广泛影响还包括为分子遗传学和基因组学的博士后、研究生和本科生提供良好的培训机会。它将允许该项目的主要研究者继续担任少数民族本科生暑期研究项目的导师和大学女性科学与工程项目的小组成员。

Systemic acquired resistance is an immune response in plants that confers long-lasting resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens. It is controlled by NPR1 and SNI1, which serve as the "on" and "off" switches for expression of proteins with antimicrobial activities, respectively. Pathogen infection also triggers an increase in DNA recombination to generate new traits for better adaptation to the selective pressure. The investigators of this project identified several additional proteins affecting both antimicrobial gene expression and DNA recombination and showed that they physically interact with SNI1. Through this project, these investigators will apply molecular genetic and genomic approaches to study the SNI1 protein complex and elucidate how this complex regulates both gene transcription and DNA recombination during plant immune responses. This project pushes the boundaries between studies of plant defense-related gene expression and chromosome structure and function in all higher organisms. For example, one of the proteins of interest is BRCA2, which is associated with familial breast cancer in humans. But the molecular function of BRCA2 is not well known. Studies of BRCA2 function in plant defense may shed new light on how this protein functions in general. The success of this project will also have a significant impact on agriculture in controlling crop disease and benefit the efforts to project the environment. The broader impacts of this project also include excellent training opportunities for postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students in molecular genetics and genomics. It will allow the principle investigator of the project to continue serving as a mentor in a program for minority undergraduate summer research and a panelist in the University Women in Science and Engineering program.