CAREER: Orchestrating transcriptional reprogramming by combinatorial complexity of general transcriptional regulation and specific immune responses

对进化上保守的微生物成分的感知可以引起强大的植物免疫反应，包括快速和深刻的转录重编程来抵御病原体的攻击。植物免疫的信号网络在很大程度上仍然难以捉摸。我们已经开发了一种基于病原体信号感知的早期转录变化的敏感基因筛查。这一高通量筛选是在拟南芥转基因植株中进行的，该转基因植株携带早期和特异的免疫反应标记基因FRK1启动子与荧光素酶(Luc)报告融合。从EMS诱变群体中鉴定出一系列pFRK1：：Luc活性改变的突变体，命名为拟南芥免疫基因表达调控基因(Aggie)。这些Aggie突变体表现出不同的免疫反应改变模式，表明这些突变可能发生在植物免疫信号的不同基因/途径上。这些aggie基因的分子克隆和生化鉴定对于揭示植物免疫信号中的新成分和揭示特定免疫应答基因表达受一般转录机制调控的机制具有重要意义。该项目将阐明植物免疫的信号网络，并为操纵具有广谱和持久抗性的作物提供丰富的遗传资源。我们的Aggie-Luc屏幕是专门为本科生量身定做的，将为研究生和博士后研究人员提供培训。该项目包括一个以绿色免疫学为中心的创新和全面的教育和推广计划，为高中生和本科生，特别是德克萨斯州格兰德河谷未被充分代表的少数族裔学生，提供研讨会、讲座和尖端研究经验。

Perception of evolutionarily conserved microbial components elicits robust plant immune responses, including rapid and profound transcriptional reprogramming against pathogen attack. The signaling networks underlying plant immunity remain largely elusive. We have developed a sensitive genetic screen based on the early transcriptional changes upon pathogen signal perception. This high-throughput screen was grounded in Arabidopsis transgenic plants carrying an early and specific immune responsive marker gene FRK1 promoter fused with a luciferase (LUC) reporter. A series of mutants with altered pFRK1::LUC activity were identified from an EMS-mutagenized population and named as Arabidopsis genes governing immune gene expression (aggie). These aggie mutants exhibited distinct patterns of altered immune responses, suggesting that the mutations likely occur at different genes/pathways in plant immune signaling. Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of these Aggie genes hold significant promise to reveal novel components in plant immune signaling and uncover mechanisms by which specific immune responsive gene expression is regulated by the general transcriptional machinery. The project will elucidate the signaling networks underlying plant immunity and provide enriched genetic resources for manipulation of crops with broad-spectrum and durable resistance. Our aggie-luc screen was specifically tailored for undergraduate students, and will provide training for graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The project includes an innovative and comprehensive education and outreach program centering on Green Immunology with seminars, lectures and cutting-edge research experiences for high school and undergraduate students, particularly underrepresented minority students in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.