Identification and Characterization of Novel Jasmonate Signaling Components

本项目旨在了解茉莉酸（jasmonic acid， JA）信号在植物中的作用。JA调节植物生物学的许多重要方面，包括对生物和非生物胁迫的防御，生长和生殖发育。JA信号在植物感染丁香假单胞菌时也起重要作用。例如，JA信号受损的植物突变体不容易被丁香假单胞菌感染。为了更好地了解JA反应是如何被调节的，识别和表征植物中控制JA信号的成分是很重要的。该项目旨在阐明由JIN1/MYC2转录因子控制的JA信号通路的一个分支。JA信号的JIN1/MYC2依赖分支特别有趣，因为研究人员已经证明，对丁香假单胞菌的疾病易感性需要JIN1/MYC2的活性。我们将采用分子、生化和遗传学相结合的方法来鉴定和表征拟南芥中JIN1/ myc2依赖的JA信号通路的其他成分，并研究它们在调节JA信号和对丁香假单胞菌的疾病易感性中的作用。这些研究应该提高对JA信号转导和导致植物疾病易感性的机制的理解，并可能最终导致农业系统中控制植物胁迫和疾病的改进策略的发展。该项目将为高中生、本科生、研究生和博士后提供激励和有价值的研究和教育机会。在夏天，一名当地的高中生将加入研究小组，从事与这个项目有关的实验。此外，当地一名高中教师将与该小组合作，开发涉及JA信号突变的实验模块，将实际操作的植物生物学和遗传学带入高中课堂。

The objective of this project is to understand the role of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling in plants. JA regulates many important aspects of plant biology, including defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, growth and reproductive development. JA signaling also plays an important role in the plant during infection by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. For example, plant mutants that are impaired for JA signaling are not easily infected by P. syringae. To gain a better understanding of how JA responses are regulated, it is important to identify and characterize components that control JA signaling in the plant. This project seeks elucidate a branch of the JA signaling pathway governed by the JIN1/MYC2 transcription factor. The JIN1/MYC2-dependent branch of JA signaling is of particular interest, as the investigators have demonstrated that disease susceptibility to P. syringae requires the activity of JIN1/MYC2. A combination of molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches will be used to identify and characterize additional components of the JIN1/MYC2-dependent JA signaling pathway in A. thaliana, and to investigate their roles in regulating JA signaling and disease susceptibility to P. syringae. These studies should yield improved understanding of JA signal transduction and mechanisms leading to disease susceptibility in plants, and may ultimately lead to the development of improved strategies for controlling plant stress and disease in agricultural systems. The project will provide stimulating and valuable research and educational opportunities for high school, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students. In summers a local high school student will join the research group to work on experiments related to this project. Additionally, a local high school teacher will collaborate with the group to develop experimental modules involving JA signaling mutants to bring hands-on plant biology and genetics into high school classrooms.