Exploring an apparent paradox in metal stress - what are the AtATR-related long term consequences of Al toxicity?

铝（Al）毒性是一个全球性的农业问题，严重限制了酸性土壤地区的根系生长和作物生产力，这些地区占世界耕地的50%以上。在了解植物如何在其环境中应对铝方面已经取得了重大进展，但我们对铝毒性如何导致根生长抑制的了解还很缺乏。利用植物模型系统拟南芥的遗传方法，已经确定铝依赖的根生长抑制在很大程度上是一个主动过程，是对DNA损伤检测的响应。检测这种损伤所需因子的突变缺失实际上导致了根生长的增加，这表明Al在体内作为一种温和的DNA损伤剂起作用。进一步的工作旨在确定Al依赖性DNA损伤的性质，由于Al能够在体内引起DNA交联，因此推测这可能导致遗传变化。将使用的技术包括监测暴露于铝后几代人的DNA完整性，以及鉴定和分析检测和响应铝毒性所需的其他生化成分。通过这些分析，将有可能更好地了解Al是如何引起根系生长抑制的，同时确定Al对DNA完整性的体内影响，后者对植物和动物的影响一直存在激烈的争论。通过这项工作，PI将能够继续致力于促进当地学区的创造力，并在实验室环境中为来自代表性不足群体的学生提供密集的指导机会。

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a global agricultural problem that severely limits root growth and crop productivity in regions with acidic soils, which represent upwards of 50% of the world's arable land. Significant progress has been made toward understanding how plants cope with Al in their environment, yet our knowledge of how Al toxicity leads to root growth inhibition is lacking. Using a genetic approach with the plant model system Arabidopsis, it has been determined that Al-dependent root growth inhibition is largely an active process that occurs in response to detection of DNA damage. Mutational loss of factors required for detection of this damage actually leads to increased root growth, which suggests that Al functions as a mild agent of DNA damage in vivo. Further work is aimed at determining the nature of the Al-dependent DNA damage, which is speculated to lead to heritable changes since Al is capable of causing DNA crosslinks in vivo. Techniques to be used include monitoring DNA integrity over several generations following exposure to Al along with identification and analysis of additional biochemical components that are required for detection and response to Al toxicity. Through these analyses, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of how Al causes root growth inhibition while at the same time determine the in vivo effect of Al on DNA integrity, the latter of which has been intensively debated with regard to impacts on both plants and animals. Through this work, the PI will be able to continue an ongoing commitment to promotion of creativity in the local school district along with providing intensive mentoring opportunities in a laboratory environment to students from underrepresented groups.