Arabidopsis 2010: Mechanisms of NB-LRR disease resistance protein function

植物具有复杂的免疫系统，在分子方面与人类截然不同，但具有相同的一般目的：识别病原体感染并对其做出反应。植物病原体引起的疾病每年导致高达30%的作物损失，这通常是在作物中添加了所需的淡水之后，尽管使用了化学物质来控制感染。因此，了解植物免疫系统是如何工作的，以“帮助植物自助”，将节省大量淡水，并导致环境可持续的农艺实践。该项目符合2009年NSF拟南芥2010计划标题(2)适应环境的呼吁。这项研究将“确定与植物对环境的反应以及对生物或非生物条件的适应有关的拟南芥基因和基因网络的功能。”该项目涉及植物免疫系统细胞内受体的控制。结合遗传学(正向和反向)、生物化学和细胞生物学的多学科方法将被用来理解这些被称为NB-LRR蛋白的受体是如何组装成激活前的信号活性状态的，并确定它们在感染后如何被特异性地激活。更广泛的影响：关于植物免疫系统如何发挥作用以减少损失的越来越详细的观点正在从社区对拟南芥应用于植物病理学中的重要问题的关注中浮现出来。参考植物拟南芥对几乎所有种类的与农艺相关的病原菌的研究都很有用。因此，该项目的一个更广泛的影响是，其结果将显著地为作物物种的转化提供信息。这项工作已经从克隆和利用最初在拟南芥中发现的作物的基因开始。遗传学、分子生物学、生物化学和细胞生物学的使用使这个项目成为从本科生到博士后水平的科学家的极好的培训基地。所调查的主题被纳入由国际和平协会讲授的一门课程，课程名为“宿主-微生物相互作用的策略”。国际和平研究所的实验室积极寻求让本科生参与研究项目，并参与与该提案主题直接相关的公共政策和公共辩论。了解有关此项目的更多信息at:http://www.bio.unc.edu/dangl/lab/projects/index.htm

Plants have a sophisticated immune system that is very different in molecular terms from that of humans, but serves the same general purpose: recognize and respond to pathogen infection. Plant pathogens cause diseases that result in the loss of up to 30% of crops annually, and this is often after the required fresh water has been added to the crops, and despite the use of chemicals to control infections. Thus, learning about how the plant immune system works, in order to 'help plants help themselves' will result in saving lots of fresh water and lead to environmentally sustainable agronomic practices.This project fits the 2009 call for the NSF Arabidopsis 2010 Programs heading (2) Adaptation to the environment. The research will "determine the function of Arabidopsis genes and gene networks involved in plant responses to the environment and in adaptation to biotic or abiotic conditions." The project concerns the control of intracellular receptors of the plant immune system. A multi-disciplinary approach combining genetics (forward and reverse), biochemistry and cell biology will be used to understand how these receptors, called NB-LRR proteins, are assembled into a pre-activation, signal competent state and to define how they are specifically activated after infection. Broader impacts: An increasingly detailed view of how the plant immune system functions to mitigate losses is emerging from a community focus on the application of Arabidopsis to important problems in plant pathology. The reference plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana, is useful for studies of nearly all classes of pathogens that are agronomically relevant. Hence, a broader impact of this project is that the results will significantly inform translation to crop species. This has already begun with the cloning and utilization of genes from crops originally identified in Arabidopsis. The use of genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology makes this project an excellent training ground for scientists from undergraduate to post-doctoral levels. Topics investigated are incorporated into a course taught by the PI on 'Strategies of Host-Microbe Interactions'. The PI's lab actively seeks to engage undergraduates in research projects and the PI is involved in public policy and public debates directly related to the topics of this proposal. Learn more about this project at:http://www.bio.unc.edu/dangl/lab/projects/index.htm