Collaborative Research: Genetic and Biochemical Dissection of Plant Sulfate Transceptor

目标是了解植物如何感知它们的营养状况与常量营养素硫(S)有关。植物能够根据土壤中矿质养分的水平调整其生长和生理机能。当养分水平较低时，它们对养分的利用效率更高。关于植物如何感知营养物质，甚至是究竟感知什么，我们知之甚少。目前的项目可以为提高养分利用效率奠定基础，从而减少与农业中使用肥料有关的投入成本和环境影响。利用正向遗传方法鉴定了模式植物拟南芥中参与s传感的一个基因。该项目将使用遗传和分子方法来了解传感器的功能。这不仅是植物s营养领域的一个突破，也是更大的营养受体领域的一个突破。这些活动的结果将在专题讨论会、会议和期刊出版物上传播。该项目产生的遗传资源将提供给研究界。这是纽约市立大学雷曼学院（联邦政府指定的西班牙裔机构）和罗格斯大学（Rutgers University）两个机构之间的合作项目。该项目将通过积极的交流项目，招募少数民族本科生和高中教师到这两个机构参与研究。其目的是利用一个具有挑衅性的研究项目，激发少数族裔学生从事植物生物学职业的兴趣，并增强美国在科学领域的竞争力。

The goal is to understand how plants sense their nutritional status with respect to the macronutrient sulfur (S). Plants are able to adjust their growth and physiology in response to the level of mineral nutrients available to them in soil. When nutrient level is low they become more efficient at nutrient utilization. Very little is known about how plants sense nutrients or even what exactly is sensed. The current project could set the stage for improving nutrient use efficiency thereby reducing the input costs and environmental impact associated with the use of fertilizers in agriculture.A forward genetic approach has been used to identify a gene that is involved in S-sensing in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The project will use both genetic and molecular approaches to understand how the sensor functions. What is learned will be a breakthrough not only for the field of plant S-nutrition, but also for the larger field of nutrient receptors. The results from these activities will be disseminated at symposia, conferences and in journal publications. The genetic resources generated by the project will be made available to the research community.This is a collaborative project between two institutions, Lehman College of the City University of New York, a federally designated Hispanic Institution, and Rutgers University. The project will recruit minority undergraduate students and high school teachers to participate in research at both institutions through an active exchange program. The aim is to use a provocative research project to stimulate the interest of students from minority groups to pursue careers in plant biology and to enhance the US competitiveness in science.