Metabolic networks of auxin biosynthesis

生长素是一种基本的植物激素，几乎调节植物生命周期的方方面面，从胚胎发育到对病原体的防御。尽管这种激素对植物适合性很重要，但人们对植物中共存的多种生长素生物合成途径知之甚少。这种激素的生物合成的研究由于存在多条代谢途径而变得更加复杂，这些代谢途径与生长素生产中使用的相同的基本代谢前体有关。在这样一个重要的生物学过程中，这些关键的知识缺陷促使当前的项目专注于生长素生物学的两个主要方面：1)组成不同生长素生物合成途径的基因是什么，以及2)生长素生物合成途径是如何在它们所嵌入的大型代谢网络中协调的？利用最新的遗传和代谢工具，植物用来产生这种激素的生物合成路线将被确定。整合不同生长素生物合成途径的代谢网络将在细胞分辨率下进行检查，所获得的信息将被汇编以生成三维预测模型。更广泛的影响。这项提议的预期发现将重塑目前对植物生长素生物合成的理解。该项目的成果将包括产生可供科学界使用的基本工具，以检查生长素生物合成在广泛的植物过程中的作用。此外，生长素代谢网络的三维分析是以细胞分辨率研究网络和系统的新战略的原则证明。该项目的推广部分包括：1)一套基于网络的双语(英语和西班牙语)14个实验模块，专门为以英语或西班牙语为母语的幼儿(5至12岁)设计；2)在当地小学进行实验演示；以及3)每月在北卡罗来纳州自然科学博物馆进行动手植物实验。所有这些活动的总体目标是使科学和科学方法更容易为年轻人所接受和感兴趣。

Auxin is an essential plant hormone that regulates nearly every aspect of plant life cycle, from embryo development to defense against pathogens. Despite the key importance of this hormone for plant fitness, very little is known about the multiple auxin biosynthetic pathways proposed to co-exist in plants. The study of this hormone's biosynthesis is further complicated by the presence of multiple metabolic pathways that feed on the same basic metabolic precursors employed in the production of auxins. These critical knowledge deficiencies in such an important biological process prompted the current project that focuses on addressing two main aspects of auxin biology: 1) What are the genes that compose the different auxin biosynthetic routes, and 2) how are the auxin biosynthetic pathways coordinated within the large metabolic network in which they are embedded? Taking advantage of the latest genetic and metabolic tools, the biosynthetic routes that plants use to produce this hormone will be defined. The metabolic network that integrates the different auxin biosynthetic pathways will be examined at cellular resolution and the information obtained will be compiled to generate three-dimensional predictive models. Broader impacts. The anticipated findings of this proposal will reshape the current understanding of auxin biosynthesis in plants. The output of this project will include the generation of essential tools that can be used by the scientific community to examine the role of auxin biosynthesis in a wide array of plant processes. Furthermore, the three-dimensional analysis of the auxin metabolic network represents a proof of principle for new strategies to study networks and systems at cellular resolution.The outreach component of this project includes: 1) a web-based bilingual (English and Spanish) set of 14 experimental modules designed specifically for young children (ages 5 to 12) that have English or Spanish as their home language; 2) experimental demonstrations at local elementary schools, and 3) monthly hands-on plant experiments at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The overall objective of all these activities is to make science and the scientific methods more accessible and interesting to young people.