Profiling Translated mRNAs from the Organ to Specific Cell Level for Modeling Mechanisms of Gene Regulation and Response to Hypoxia

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Bailey-Serres Proposal # IOS-0750811Profiling Translated mRNAs from the Organ to Specific Cell Level for Modeling Mechanisms of Gene Regulation and Response to HypoxiaPlants and animals use oxygen from the atmosphere to produce the energy needed for cell function. These organisms respond in an exquisite manner when oxygen levels are diminished. This can occur in plant roots when a field is flooded or in a brain cell during a heart attack or stroke. The goal is to understand the process by which cells endure transient periods of inadequate oxygen. The focus is on the conservation of cellular energy that occurs through a change in the manner in which proteins are synthesized from gene transcripts - the intermediate between gene and protein. In plants, as well as in animals, cells that lack oxygen become more selective in protein synthesis. This occurs by storing most gene transcripts. However, some gene transcripts escape this repression; these generally encode the proteins that the cell requires to cope with the stress. This project will study the regulation of gene transcript use during oxygen deprivation. This will include evaluation of the management in the root and the shoot, as well as in specific layers of cells. This analysis will provide a level of resolution that has previously not been obtained - yielding information on the response to the stress that occurs in organs and specialized cells. The research will also address the mechanism by which cells store gene transcripts, in order to spare energy. A broader impact will be cross-disciplinary training of scientists: a biologist, will be trained in computer science and a chemist will be trained in plant physiology. Undergraduate students, some of whom will be from small colleges, will gain hands-on research experience. Another broader impact will be the provision of plant lines to the research community that can be used to monitor gene transcripts associated with the protein synthesis machinery in specialized cell types.