Characterization of a LATD-dependent ABA signaling pathway in Medicago truncatula roots.

该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公共法律111-5)资助。植物激素脱落酸(ABA)对于协调植物对干旱、盐碱和寒冷等环境胁迫的反应至关重要。在干旱的土壤条件下，ABA在植物体内迅速被动员，引发叶片的生理变化，减少水分损失，并刺激根更深地生长到土壤中。虽然ABA作为一种从根到枝的快速预警系统的重要性已经知道多年，但在ABA离开维管系统之后发生的事件在很大程度上是未知的。缺乏功能LATD蛋白的紫花苜蓿植株，除非在生长介质中添加额外的ABA，否则无法在植物根尖保持生长区域。此外，ABA在这些植物中的运动也发生了变化，这表明LATD蛋白可能参与了ABA在植物细胞内或外的运输。这个项目建议更仔细地研究阿坝的运输。作为该项目的一部分，将确定LATD蛋白在植物细胞中的位置。此外，该项目建议确定在植物ABA反应中在LATD蛋白之前或之后发挥功能的调节蛋白。最后，LATD类蛋白在模式植物拟南芥中的功能将被阐明。总之，这些实验将增加我们对植物如何利用ABA来调节植物发育过程的理解，例如根的生长和固氮根瘤的形成。该项目将为本科生和研究生提供科学的培训。此外，该项目还包含一个外展部分，涉及为佛蒙特州的中学设计以探究为基础的科学项目。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The plant hormone Abscisic Acid (ABA) is essential for coordinating the response of plants to environmental stresses, such as drought, salinity and cold. In response to drying soil conditions, ABA is rapidly mobilized through the plant, triggering physiological changes in the leaves that will reduce water loss and stimulating roots to grow deeper into the soil. Although the importance of ABA as a rapid root-to-shoot warning system has been known for years the events that follow the exit of ABA from the vasculature are largely unknown. Medicago truncatula plants that lack a functional LATD protein are unable to maintain growing regions at the tips of plant roots unless extra ABA is added to the growth medium. In addition, movement of ABA through these plants is altered suggesting that the LATD protein might be involved in transporting ABA into or out of plant cells. This project proposes to examine ABA transport more closely. As a part of this project, the location of the LATD protein in plant cells will be determined. In addition, this project proposes to identify regulatory proteins that function before or after the LATD protein in the plant ABA response. Finally, the function of LATD-like proteins in the model plant, Arabidopsis, will be elucidated. Together, these experiments will increase our understanding of how plants use ABA to modulate plant developmental processes, such as root growth and the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project will provide scientific training for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, this project also contains an outreach component that involves the design of inquiry-based science projects for middle schools in Vermont.