Molecular Basis and Redox-Regulation of Plant Glutathione Biosynthesis

植物谷胱甘肽生物合成的分子基础和氧化还原调节

• 批准号: 0824492
• 负责人: Joseph Jez
• 金额: $ 48万
• 依托单位: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2009-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0824492&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Molecular; Basis; Redox; Regulation; Plant

Environmental stresses result in considerable losses in crop quality and plant biomass productivity. Exposure of plants to temperature extremes, drought, pollution, and pathogens results in the generation of reactive oxygen species that alter signaling pathways and growth. As part of their response to these stresses, plants produce the peptide glutathione. Glutathione acts as an antioxidant by quenching reactive oxygen species and is essential for the detoxification of environmental pollutants. Two enzymes catalyze glutathione synthesis: glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), and glutathione synthetase (GS). This project explores how these enzymes function and are regulated by 1) examining the structure of plant GS, 2) establishing the role of GCL as a regulatory switch in glutathione biosynthesis; and 3) identifying additional plant proteins that act as redox-linked regulatory switches.Efforts related to broader impact fall into two categories. First, the research project provides undergraduate and graduate students with multidisciplinary training in plant biology, biochemistry, and structural biology. At the graduate level, two students are involved in the project. At the undergraduate level, both the PI and Co-PI are active in the NSF-REU program at the Danforth Center and in the Pfizer-Solutia Summer Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) program. Second, the PI helped develop an upper-level undergraduate/graduate plant biology course (Bio4024) at Washington University that offers research-based experiments that combine protein chemistry, x-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry/proteomics, and microscopy (Jez et al., 2007 Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ. 35, 410-415). By blending biochemistry and plant biology, students acquire the breadth of understanding and the scientific skills required for solving problems at the interface of these disciplines.

环境压力导致作物质量和植物生物量生产力的显着损失。 植物暴露于极端温度、干旱、污染和病原体下会导致活性氧的产生，从而改变信号通路和生长。 作为对这些胁迫反应的一部分，植物会产生肽谷胱甘肽。 谷胱甘肽通过淬灭活性氧而充当抗氧化剂，对于环境污染物的解毒至关重要。 有两种酶催化谷胱甘肽合成：谷氨酸半胱氨酸连接酶 (GCL) 和谷胱甘肽合成酶 (GS)。 该项目通过 1) 检查植物 GS 的结构，2) 确定 GCL 作为谷胱甘肽生物合成中调节开关的作用，探索这些酶的功能和调节方式； 3) 识别作为氧化还原相关调节开关的其他植物蛋白。与更广泛影响相关的努力分为两类。 首先，该研究项目为本科生和研究生提供植物生物学、生物化学和结构生物学的多学科培训。 在研究生阶段，两名学生参与了该项目。 在本科阶段，PI 和 Co-PI 均积极参与丹福斯中心的 NSF-REU 项目以及辉瑞-首诺暑期学生和教师研究科学家 (STARS) 项目。 其次，PI 帮助华盛顿大学开发了高水平本科生/研究生植物生物学课程 (Bio4024)，该课程提供结合了蛋白质化学、X 射线晶体学、质谱/蛋白质组学和显微镜的基于研究的实验（Jez 等人，2007 Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ. 35, 410-415）。 通过融合生物化学和植物生物学，学生获得了解决这些学科交叉问题所需的广泛理解和科学技能。