Characterization of Aphid Nutrient Amino Acid Transporters with Focus on the Symbiotic Interface

以共生界面为重点的蚜虫营养氨基酸转运蛋白的表征

• 批准号: 1121847
• 负责人: Alexandra Wilson de Andrade
• 金额: $ 53.54万
• 依托单位: University of Miami
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-15 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1121847&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Characterization; Aphid; Nutrient; Amino; Acid

Alexandra C. C. WilsonProposal # IOS-1121847Characterization of Aphid Nutrient Amino Acid Transporters with Focus on theSymbiotic InterfaceSymbioses such as those between humans and their gut flora and the insect vector ofChagas disease and its obligate bacterium are ubiquitous in nature impacting humanhealth, biodiversity and agriculture. Insects feeding on mammalian blood or plant sapare united in their dependence on intimate symbioses with bacteria that nutritionallycompensate their hosts. While the nutritional bases of these symbioses are wellunderstood, the processes and structures that mediate the intimate interactions betweensymbiotic partners have been neglected and remain uncharacterized. This project aimsto functionally characterize the processes and structures that mediate amino acidexchange between aphids and their bacterial symbiont, Buchnera aphidicola. Buchnera livewithin membrane-bound compartments inside aphid bacteriocyte cells. The membranesof the bacteriocytes and the specialized compartments present a challenge to amino acidexchange, a process vital to aphid survival. Specifically, this project focuses on studyingthe molecules that transport amino acids across membranes at the aphid/Buchnerainterface. The investigators will experimentally determine the transport capability ofamino acid transporters and use microscopy to determine where these transporters arefound. Research and educational goals will merge in measurement of changes inexpression of amino acid transporter genes in response to dietary amino acid supplyproviding inquiry-based research training for up to 96 undergraduates. Broadly thiswork benefits genomic studies in all insect systems and additionally provides mentoringand research training for one graduate student and one early-career researcher. Thisproject will be the first to functionally characterize the processes and structuresoperating at the interface of an insect nutritional symbiosis. Importantly, understandinghow insects interact with their symbionts has the potential to facilitate development oftargeted environmentally safe control of insect vectors of human and plant disease.

Alexandra C.C.Wilson Proposal#iOS-1121847关注于共生界面的蚜虫营养氨基酸转运体的特征共生，如人与肠道菌群之间的共生，恰加斯病及其专性细菌的昆虫媒介在自然界中普遍存在，影响人类健康、生物多样性和农业。以哺乳动物血液或植物为食的昆虫在依赖与细菌的亲密共生方面团结在一起，细菌在营养上补偿了它们的宿主。虽然这些共生体的营养基础已经被很好地了解了，但调节共生体之间亲密相互作用的过程和结构被忽视了，仍然没有确定其特征。本项目的目的是从功能上描述介导蚜虫与其细菌共生体--棉铃虫之间氨基酸交换的过程和结构。棉铃虫生活在蚜虫细菌细胞内的膜结合室内。细菌细胞的膜和特化的隔室对氨基酸交换提出了挑战，氨基酸交换是一个对蚜虫生存至关重要的过程。具体地说，这个项目的重点是研究在蚜虫/布赫纳界面上跨膜运输氨基酸的分子。研究人员将通过实验确定氨基酸转运体的运输能力，并使用显微镜来确定这些转运体的位置。研究和教育目标将在测量氨基酸转运体基因表达变化方面结合起来，以响应饮食氨基酸供应，为多达96名本科生提供基于探究的研究培训。总的来说，这项工作有利于所有昆虫系统的基因组研究，并为一名研究生和一名职业生涯早期的研究人员提供指导和研究培训。该项目将是第一个对昆虫营养共生界面上的过程和结构进行功能性表征的项目。重要的是，了解昆虫如何与它们的共生体相互作用，有可能促进人类和植物疾病昆虫媒介的有针对性的环境安全控制的发展。