Metabolic networks of auxin biosynthesis

生长素是一种重要的植物激素，几乎调节植物生命周期的各个方面，从胚胎发育到防御病原体。尽管这种激素对植物健康至关重要，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进一步复杂化的存在多种代谢途径，饲料在生产生长素相同的基本代谢前体。在这样一个重要的生物过程中，这些关键的知识缺陷促使目前的项目集中在解决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如何在它们嵌入的大型代谢网络中协调？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途径将被定义。将在细胞分辨率下检查整合不同生长素生物合成途径的代谢网络，并将编译所获得的信息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。该项目的产出将包括产生可供科学界使用的基本工具，以研究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代表了在细胞分辨率下研究网络和系统的新策略的原理证明。（英文和西班牙文）一套14个专门为幼儿设计的实验单元（5至12岁），英语或西班牙语作为他们的母语; 2）在当地小学的实验示范，和3）每月动手植物实验在北卡罗来纳州自然科学博物馆。所有这些活动的总体目标是使科学和科学方法更容易为青年人所接受和感兴趣。

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.