Collaborative Research: Integrating iron uptake and distribution in plants

铁是一种基本的营养物质，从饮食中积累铁的能力对人类健康至关重要。目前，因微量营养素缺乏而患营养不良的人多于因蛋白质或能量缺乏而营养不良的人，据估计，全世界有20多亿人患有铁缺乏。在农业中，土壤中铁的有效性在决定作物产量方面发挥着重要作用。此外，植物是世界上大部分人口的主要铁饮食来源。然而，当铁的含量较高时，对动植物也是有毒的。因此，所有细胞都必须小心地调节铁的摄取。这些研究的长期目标是了解植物如何从土壤中吸收铁，以及植物如何在植物的各种细胞/组织中保持适当的铁水平。本课程将结合遗传、分子和生物化学的方法来解决有关植物中铁代谢的两个主要问题。首先，将进行实验，以阐明铁转移到线粒体的分子机制。其次，将进行实验以破译植物缺铁信号响应途径的机制。拟议的研究最终将使人们更好地了解植物对铁的吸收，并设计出能够在缺铁土壤上生长并积累铁从而具有更高营养价值的植物。这一合作项目将提供独特的指导机会。由于南加州大学生物系有大量的少数族裔学生，拟议的研究项目有可能增加这些代表性不足的群体在科学界的代表性。南加州大学和达特茅斯大学之间将建立一个交流计划，允许有前途的南加州大学年轻本科生在盖里诺和康诺利实验室体验研究。来自科学界代表性不足群体的第一代低收入本科生将被招募，并接受最新的基因组、分子和生物化学方法的培训。

Iron is an essential nutrient and the ability to accumulate iron from the diet is crucial for human health. Currently, more people suffer from malnutrition due to micronutrient deficiencies than from deficiencies of protein or energy and it is estimated that over 2 billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency. In agriculture, the availability of iron in soil plays a major part in determining crop yields. In addition, plants are the main dietary source of iron for much of the world's population. However, iron can also be toxic to both plants and animals when present at high levels. Thus, all cells must carefully regulate iron uptake. The long-range goal of these studies is to understand how plants take up iron from the soil and how plants maintain proper iron levels in the various cells/tissues of the plant. A combined genetic, molecular and biochemical approach will be used to address two major open questions regarding iron metabolism in plants. First, experiments will be conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying iron transfer to mitochondria. Second, experiments will be conducted to decipher the mechanisms involved in plant iron deficiency signaling response pathways. The proposed studies will ultimately lead to a better understanding of iron uptake in plants and to the design of plants that are capable of growth on iron deficient soils and that accumulate iron and thus have a higher nutritional value. This collaborative project will provide unique mentoring opportunities. Because the Biology Dept at USC has a large number of minority students, the proposed research project has the potential for increasing representation in the sciences by these underrepresented groups. An exchange program between USC and Dartmouth will be established that will allow promising young USC undergraduates to experience research in both the Guerinot and Connolly labs. First-generation, low-income undergraduate students from groups under-represented in the sciences will be recruited and trained in the latest genomic, molecular and biochemical methods.