An Integrative Approach to Elucidate Systemic RNA Trafficking

阐明系统性 RNA 贩运的综合方法

• 批准号: 0840906
• 负责人: Biao Ding
• 金额: $ 48万
• 依托单位: Ohio State University Research Foundation -DO NOT USE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-02-15 至 2012-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0840906&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Integrative; Approach; Elucidate; Systemic; RNA

How basic processes in individual cells within a multicellular organism are integrated to enable development, function and response to the environment is a central issue in modern biology. Cell-to-cell trafficking of RNA is a recently discovered mechanism that controls gene regulation, viral infection, cellular antiviral responses, and cell-to-cell communication. This project investigates how an RNA produced in a cell is selected for transport into neighboring cells and even to distant organs in a plant, a basic mechanistic question of fundamental importance to understand trafficking regulation for all RNAs. Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) infection will be used as a simple experimental model to test the hypothesis that an RNA has distinct structural motifs to interact with cellular factors to potentiate trafficking across successive cellular boundaries from the plant surface to the centrally located vascular tissue for long-distance transport. Specifically, the project will (1) analyze a series of trafficking-defective mutants of PSTVd to identify the RNA motifs mediating trafficking through different cellular boundaries, (2) test the predicted three-dimensional structural model of a trafficking motif through extensive mutational analyses, and (3) determine the role of a plant protein in PSTVd trafficking. Results from the project will provide groundbreaking insights about how an infectious RNA has evolved distinct structural elements to use cellular machinery to establish infection, and help develop a conceptual framework to study the mechanisms of RNA trafficking underlying many biological processes. This project will include training of undergraduate and graduate students. This training will expose students to cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research approaches to study fundamental biological problems. The project will also enhance science education for elementary/middle/high school students and secondary school teachers, including traditionally underrepresented groups.

多细胞生物体中单个细胞的基本过程如何整合以实现发育，功能和对环境的反应是现代生物学的中心问题。RNA的细胞间运输是最近发现的控制基因调控、病毒感染、细胞抗病毒反应和细胞间通讯的机制。该项目研究细胞中产生的RNA如何被选择运输到邻近细胞，甚至运输到植物的远处器官，这是一个对于了解所有RNA的运输调节至关重要的基本机械问题。马铃薯纺锤体块茎类病毒（PSTVd）感染将被用作一个简单的实验模型，以测试的假设，RNA具有不同的结构基序与细胞因子相互作用，以加强运输连续的细胞边界从植物表面到位于中央的维管组织进行长距离运输。具体而言，该项目将（1）分析一系列PSTVd的运输缺陷突变体，以确定介导通过不同细胞边界运输的RNA基序，（2）通过广泛的突变分析测试预测的运输基序的三维结构模型，（3）确定植物蛋白在PSTVd运输中的作用。该项目的结果将提供关于感染性RNA如何进化出独特的结构元件以使用细胞机制建立感染的突破性见解，并有助于开发一个概念框架来研究许多生物过程中RNA运输的机制。该项目将包括对本科生和研究生的培训。这项培训将使学生接触到前沿的跨学科研究方法，以研究基本的生物学问题。该项目还将加强对小学/初中/高中学生和中学教师的科学教育，包括传统上代表性不足的群体。