Molecular, genetic, and biochemical characterization of oleate-regulated defense gene expression in plants

核酸、蛋白质和植物激素通常被分配在植物信号转导途径中的关键调控角色。我们的研究证明了脂肪酸(FA)作为信号分子的独特和以前未确定的作用。我们已经证明，在拟南芥和大豆中，单不饱和脂肪酸油酸(18：1)介导了防御信号。具体地说，18：1水平的降低诱导植物中各种抗性(R)基因的表达。反过来，这种R基因的全球诱导又赋予了对多种病原体的广谱疾病抵抗力。本项目旨在阐明18：1调节植物R基因表达和防御激活的分子和生化机制。这将通过鉴定直接结合18：1的蛋白质来实现。该项目不仅有助于阐明这一新的18：1介导的途径，而且可能为R基因和Low 18：1介导的信号之间的网络提供有用的见解。这一结果可以应用于许多其他系统的信号网络，因为潜在的生化活性在各种植物中是保守的，18：1是植物和动物中必不可少的一种单不饱和脂肪酸。智力上的功绩。对18：1调节途径的表征将有助于阐明迄今未被研究的植物防御新机制。这项工作将提供关于脂肪酸的调节作用的关键信息，除了它们作为能量储存库的传统作用之外。它还可以重新定义我们目前对已知防御信号通路的理解，并为新陈代谢和防御信号之间的复杂网络提供重要的见解。来自拟南芥的研究结果将适用于基因适应性较差的作物，并可能帮助我们开发成本更低、对环境和人类健康危害更小的替代疾病控制措施。更广泛的影响。对植物新陈代谢和防御途径之间复杂网络的关键洞察是开发新的疾病预防策略的关键。这里获得的信息可能被应用于在经济上重要的农作物中进行广谱抗病工程。因此，从这项研究中获得的知识最终将提高作物产量。此外，已知18：1还影响哺乳动物系统中的几个重要生理过程。例如，18：1影响心脏和血管平滑肌细胞的收缩活动，是成人呼吸应激综合征引起肺水肿的原因，并以其防癌能力而闻名。因此，了解植物中18：1派生的信号可能也会为人类的疾病过程提供洞察力。这项研究将包括对本科生、研究生和博士后的培训，并通过分享想法和材料来加强研究基础设施。研究人员的目标是通过将本科生纳入他们的科学团队，培养一个本科生社区，特别是那些来自传统上代表不足的群体的学生。他们还计划将他们的研究与肯塔基大学提供的推广服务结合起来，以提高农民和农业企业代表对作物抗性最近进展的认识。

Nucleic acids, proteins and phytohormones have routinely been assigned key regulatory roles in plant signal transduction pathways. Our studies demonstrate a unique and previously undefined role for fatty acids (FA) as signaling molecules. We have shown that the monounsaturated FA, oleic acid (18:1), mediates defense signaling in Arabidopsis and soybean. Specifically, a reduction in the levels of 18:1 induces the expression of a variety of resistance (R) genes in plants. In turn, this global induction of R genes confers broad-spectrum disease resistance against multiple pathogens. This project aims to elucidate the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying the 18:1-derived regulation of R gene expression and defense activation in plants. This will be achieved by characterizing proteins that directly bind 18:1. The project would not only help elucidate this novel 18:1-mediated pathway, but will likely provide useful insights into networking between R gene and low 18:1-mediated signaling. Results obtained here could be applied to signaling networks in many other systems, since the underlying biochemical activities are conserved amongst a variety of plant species and 18:1 is an essential monounsaturated fatty acid in plants and animals alike. Intellectual Merit. Characterization of the 18:1-regulated pathway will help elucidate novel, hitherto uninvestigated mechanisms of plant defense. This work will provide critical information about the regulatory role of fatty acids in addition to their traditional role as energy reservoirs. It could also redefine our current understanding of known defense signaling pathways as well as provide important insights into the complex networking between metabolic and defense signaling. Research findings from Arabidopsis will be applicable to less genetically tractable crop plants, and may help us to develop alternative disease controls that are less costly and less harmful to the environment and human health. Broader Impacts. Critical insights into the complex networking between metabolic and defense pathways in plants are key to developing novel disease protection strategies. The information obtained here could potentially be applied for engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance in economically important crop plants. Therefore, knowledge obtained from this study will eventually increase crop productivity. Furthermore, 18:1 is also known to affect several vital physiological processes in mammalian systems. For example, 18:1 affects the contractile activity of heart and vascular smooth muscle cells, is the cause of pulmonary edema induced in adult respiratory stress syndrome, and is well known for its cancer protective abilities. Thus, understanding 18:1-derived signaling in plants is likely to provide insights into disease processes in humans as well. This research will incorporate training of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students, and enhance the research infrastructure through sharing of ideas and materials. The investigators aim to foster a community of undergraduate students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups, by including them as members of their scientific team. They also plan to integrate their research with the extension services available at the University of Kentucky to enhance awareness of the recent advances in crop resistance among farmers and agribusiness representatives.