Significance of Apyrase Activity for Regulating Plant Growth and Development

腺苷三磷酸双磷酸酶活性对调节植物生长发育的意义

• 批准号: 1027514
• 负责人: Stanley Roux
• 金额: $ 47万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1027514&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Significance; Apyrase; Activity; Regulating; Plant

The main objective of this project is to clarify how the activities of enzymes called apyrases exert dramatic effects on plant growth and development. Apyrases are enzymes that can hydrolyze various nucleotides, including ATP. Plants that are suppressed in their production of two apyrases, APY1 and APY2, are defective in their transport of the plant growth hormone auxin and are dwarf. The highest expression of these enzymes is in tissues that are rapidly growing. To better understand the implications of these findings, this project will investigate the molecular bases underlying them, using genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches. APY1 and APY2 can function in the outer periphery of cells where they reduce the concentration of extracellular ATP. During cell growth some ATP made inside cells moves to the outside of cells where it acts as a hormone-like substance that influences many activities in plants, including cell expansion and the opening and closing of leaf pores called stomata. This project tests how the ability of apyrases to regulate the concentration of extracellular ATP relates to their ability to regulate plant cell size. New knowledge gained from the proposed experiments will deepen understanding about factors that control plant growth, and thus help develop new strategies for increasing crop yields and plant biomass for biofuels. The P.I. and co P.I. have a strong record of mentoring high school and undergraduate students in original research projects, and both are now principal instructors in the nationally lauded Freshman Research Initiative project on campus, which introduces large numbers of entering students to the challenge and joy of cutting-edge research. This activity is in accord with NSF's goal to foster integration of research and education through formal programs, and may serve as a model program for other such efforts in other Universities.

本项目的主要目的是阐明一种被称为apyrase的酶的活性如何对植物的生长和发育产生巨大的影响。淀粉酶是一种可以水解各种核苷酸的酶，包括ATP。抑制APY1和APY2两种酶的产生的植物，在植物生长激素生长素的运输中有缺陷，并且矮化。这些酶的最高表达是在快速生长的组织中。为了更好地理解这些发现的含义，该项目将利用遗传学、生物化学和细胞生物学的方法来研究这些发现背后的分子基础。APY1和APY2可以在细胞外周发挥作用，降低细胞外ATP的浓度。在细胞生长过程中，细胞内产生的一些ATP移动到细胞外，在那里它作为一种激素样物质影响植物的许多活动，包括细胞扩张和叶片气孔的开放和关闭。该项目测试了酶调节细胞外ATP浓度的能力与它们调节植物细胞大小的能力之间的关系。从拟议的实验中获得的新知识将加深对控制植物生长的因素的理解，从而有助于制定提高作物产量和用于生物燃料的植物生物量的新策略。P.I.和co P.I.在指导高中生和本科生进行原创研究项目方面有着良好的记录，他们现在都是备受全国赞誉的校园新生研究计划（Freshman research Initiative）的首席讲师，该计划向大量新生介绍了前沿研究的挑战和乐趣。这项活动符合美国国家科学基金会通过正式项目促进研究与教育整合的目标，并可作为其他大学其他此类努力的示范项目。