Control of Storage Protein Biosynthesis by mRNA Targeting

通过 mRNA 靶向控制储存蛋白生物合成

• 批准号: 1021699
• 负责人: Thomas Okita
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: Washington State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-03-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1021699&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Control; Storage; Protein; Biosynthesis; mRNA

Plant seeds are used as a source of food and as a feedstock for the production of bioenergy. As the world population is projected to surpass 9 billion people by 2050, more food will have to be produced than ever before. Although considerable effort has been directed at understanding how seed genes are regulated in the nucleus during seed development, very little is known about the cellular events that control the expression of their RNAs in the cytoplasm. Previous efforts from this laboratory have demonstrated that seed RNAs are not immediately translated into protein when they exit the nucleus. Instead, they form large particles which are transported along several different pathways to the cortical region, a site located underneath the plasma membrane and highly conducive for protein synthesis. In this project, an integrated molecular, genetic and cell imaging approach will be undertaken to elucidate three broad areas of RNA transport and localization. They are (1) to identify the RNA species, which are localized by one of the transport pathways, (2) to identify and characterize how specific RNA binding proteins interact to recognize their target RNAs and direct them to a specific RNA transport pathway, and (3) to determine the role of membrane-associated proteins in RNA transport. This study will provide new insights in how RNAs and, in turn, proteins are localized and accumulated in plant cells. Moreover, it may lead to new insights into the mechanisms that control the utilization of carbon and nitrogen and their conversion into storage reserves and, thereby, aid in efforts to increase seed quality and crop productivity. The project will train young scientists at the postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate levels, will provide these younger scientists the opportunity for international research, and will strengthen an ongoing international collaborative study to increase seed production for food and energy.

植物种子被用作食物来源和生产生物能源的原料。 预计到2050年世界人口将超过90亿，因此必须生产比以往任何时候都多的粮食。 虽然相当大的努力已被定向在了解种子基因是如何在种子发育过程中的细胞核中进行调节，很少有人知道的细胞事件，控制其RNA在细胞质中的表达。该实验室以前的研究表明，种子RNA在离开细胞核时不会立即翻译成蛋白质。相反，它们形成大颗粒，这些大颗粒沿着沿着几条不同的途径被运输到皮层区域，皮层区域是位于质膜下方并且高度有利于蛋白质合成的部位。在这个项目中，一个综合的分子，遗传和细胞成像方法将进行阐明RNA运输和定位的三个广泛领域。 它们是（1）鉴定RNA种类，其通过一种转运途径定位，（2）鉴定和表征特异性RNA结合蛋白如何相互作用以识别其靶RNA并将其引导至特异性RNA转运途径，以及（3）确定膜相关蛋白在RNA转运中的作用。 这项研究将为RNA以及蛋白质如何在植物细胞中定位和积累提供新的见解。此外，它可能导致对控制碳和氮的利用及其转化为储存储备的机制的新见解，从而有助于提高种子质量和作物生产力。该项目将培训博士后、研究生和本科生级别的年轻科学家，为这些年轻科学家提供国际研究机会，并将加强正在进行的国际合作研究，以增加粮食和能源种子生产。