ROS as Mediators of Rapid Long-Distance Self-Propagating Signals

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Plants are the principle solar energy converter sustaining life on Earth. To optimize their carbon dioxide consumption and bio-energy production, plants must rapidly acclimate to changes in their environment, as well as respond to a diverse array of biological challenges. Being sessile organisms, plants evolved sophisticated mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic challenges in their environment. These can be activated in local tissues that initially interact with the threat, as well as in systemic tissues that were not yet challenged. The activation of defense or acclimation mechanisms in systemic non-challenged tissues is often termed systemic acquired resistance, or systemic acquired acclimation, and serves an important role in preventing further infection or damage to the entire plant during stress. Fundamental mechanisms underlying rapid systemic signaling in response to different environmental stresses in plants are however largely unknown. The long-term goal of this project is to determine the mechanism and mode of regulation of rapid systemic signaling in plants. Dissecting the rapid systemic signaling pathway of plants will identify key regulators that will be used to enhance the tolerance of different crops and plants to global climatic changes, potentially preventing yield losses estimated at 30-40 billions of dollars annually in the US. This project will involve educational outreach for K-12 and multidisciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate trainees. Undergraduate students will be trained in different aspects of signal transduction, genetics and bioinformatics analysis. A summer outreach workshop will teach high school students about molecular biology, signal transduction, the environment, and modern agriculture. This laboratory-based internship program will provide self-confidence building experiences and expose the students to laboratories and scientists. Both undergraduate and K-12 outreach and training activities will target the under privileged and underrepresented in science.