Research Starter Grant: Functional analysis of the Arabidopsis heterotrimer G-protein beta subunit, AGB1 and putative AGB1-interacting proteins in mediating stress responses

拟南芥异源三聚体G蛋白β亚基AGB1及其相互作用蛋白在调节胁迫反应中的功能分析在对环境胁迫的反应中，植物的生长、发育和/或产量都会受到不利的影响。最近，拟南芥异源三聚体G蛋白β亚基(AGB1)与种子生产对水分胁迫的反应有关，AGB1相互作用蛋白与拟南芥对细菌病原菌的敏感性有关。随着拟南芥G蛋白相互作用组的释放，人们期待AGB1在非生物胁迫和生物胁迫反应中的作用将被确定，因为它在很大程度上是未知的。这个受资助的项目将研究推测的AGB1相互作用蛋白对植物在应对干旱条件和细菌和病毒感染时的适应性所起的作用。利用不同的拟南芥遗传背景，功能遗传学方法结合生化和分子方法将被用来检测响应胁迫刺激的激素和信号通路的变化。这一建议的智力优势包括：(1)破译拟南芥AGB1信号通路对干旱/非生物胁迫和病原/生物胁迫的响应；(2)确定拟南芥AGB1相互作用蛋白在介导这些反应中的功能作用。这项研究的范围更广，包括进一步推动植物科学倡议，以增加用于能源应用、农业、林业和其他有益需求的基本植物产品的产量。这个由资金资助的项目将提供大量研究机会，以增加包括乔万大学和周边社区的少数民族和女性在内的学生进入包括植物科学在内的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)职业的人数。此外，受资助的项目将有助于加强乔万大学的STEM课程，并进一步促进本科生和当地初中生/高中生在跨学科学习方面的进步。乔万大学是一所以本科为主的小型大学，位于北卡罗来纳州东北部欠发达的农村地区，少数民族招生人数不断增加。

Functional analysis of the Arabidopsis heterotrimer G-protein beta subunit, AGB1 and putative AGB1-interacting proteins in mediating stress responsesIn response to environmental stress, plant growth, development and/or yield can be adversely affected. Recently, the Arabidopsis thaliana heterotrimer G-protein beta subunit (AGB1) has been linked to Arabidopsis seed production in response to water availability and an AGB1-interacting protein has been linked to Arabidopsis susceptibility to a bacterial pathogen. With the release of the Arabidopsis G-protein interactome, it is greatly anticipated that the role of AGB1 in abiotic stress and biotic stress responses will be determined, since it is largely unknown. The funded project will examine the role of putative AGB1-interacting proteins toward plant fitness in response to drought conditions and in response to bacterial and viral infections. Using various Arabidopsis genetic backgrounds, a functional genetics approach coupled with biochemical and molecular approaches will be used to detect altered hormonal and signaling pathways in response to stress stimuli. The intellectual merit of this proposal consists of the following: (1) deciphering the Arabidopsis AGB1 signaling pathway in response to drought/abiotic stress and pathogen/biotic stress and (2) identifying the functional roles of putative Arabidopsis AGB1-interacting proteins in mediating these responses. The broader scope of this research includes furthering plant science initiatives to increase the yield of essential plant products for energy applications, agriculture, forestry and other beneficial needs. The funded project will provide numerous research opportunities to increase the number of students including minorities and women from Chowan University and surrounding communities that enter science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers including the plant sciences. In addition, the funded project will help strengthen the STEM curriculum at Chowan University and further undergraduate student and local middle school/high school student advancement in interdisciplinary learning. Chowan University is a small primarily undergraduate institution with a growing minority enrollment located in a rural and underdeveloped section of northeastern North Carolina.