Copper Delivery for Photosynthesis in Plants

铜在光合作用中起着重要作用，是植物生长的重要辅助因子。当铜的摄取不足时，植物会采用三种策略来进行调整：植物调整其生理结构以减少对铜的需求；它们试图增加对铜的摄取；它们优先将铜传递给最重要的蛋白质，特别是那些在光合作用中起作用的蛋白质。该团队已经发现了关键的铜转运分子，并发现一类被称为microrna的小RNA分子在铜的使用中起着调节作用。在这个项目中，研究人员的目标是描述如何确定的组成部分一起工作，以适应即将到来的缺铜。在这个项目中，遗传和生化方法的结合将在模式植物拟南芥中使用。该项目可能会揭示生物体适应微量营养素缺乏的重要新机制。缺铜会影响农作物产量和生物质生产，进而影响生物燃料的生产。缺乏症还会影响可食用植物部分的营养价值。因此，该项目与人类的福祉有关。该项目将培养研究生、本科生和博士后研究人员，并将涉及国内和国际合作。许多生物化学方面的发现改善了人类的健康和福祉，这些发现都来自于植物科学领域的研究。为了提高人们对基础植物科学重要性的认识，研究小组将围绕营养与植物、光合作用与生物燃料以及从基因组学到生态生理学的植物研究等主题，组织主要针对教师和当地农民的讲习班。

Copper is an essential cofactor for plant growth due to its essential role in photosynthesis. When copper uptake is not sufficient, plants use a combination of three strategies to adjust: Plants modify their physiology to reduce their need for copper, they attempt to increase copper uptake, and they prioritize delivery of copper to the most essential proteins, especially those that function in photosynthesis. The team has already discovered key copper-transporter molecules and has found that a class of small RNA molecules called microRNAs function in the regulation of the use of copper. In this project the investigators aim to characterize how the components that were identified work together in order to adjust to impending copper deficiency. For this project a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches will be used in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The project will likely reveal important novel mechanisms by which organisms adjust to micro-nutrient deficiency. Copper deficiency affects crop yield and biomass production, which has an impact on the possibility to make biofuels. Deficiency also affects the nutritional value of edible plant parts. Therefore the project has relevance to the well being of humans. The project will train graduate students as well as undergraduates and post-doctoral researchers and will involve national and international collaborations. Many of the discoveries in biochemistry that have led to improvements in human health and well being have arisen from research in the area of plant science. In order to raise awareness of the importance of basic plant science, the research team will organize workshops aimed primarily at teachers and local farmers around the themes of nutrition and plants, photosynthesis and biofuels and plant research from genomics to ecophysiology.