Analysis of the plant cortical cell program that controls arbuscule/periarbuscular membrane development and function in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

大多数开花植物能够与土壤真菌形成共生关系(称为丛枝菌根共生)。这些组合在植物的根中发展，在那里，真菌将磷酸盐从土壤转移到根，以换取碳。目前，人们对共生发展的机制知之甚少。本项目旨在确定两种新的植物蛋白的功能，这两种蛋白对AM共生的发展至关重要。该项目还专注于共生磷酸盐运输，旨在确定植物细胞如何感知真菌传递的磷酸盐。研究人员将使用遗传学、分子和细胞生物学技术来评估这些蛋白质在植物细胞中的亚细胞位置和功能。预计这些研究将揭示植物根细胞如何构建共生膜以及它们如何感知磷酸盐的新信息。这一基础知识将促进目前对AM共生和一般植物细胞生物学方面的理解。这项工作的更广泛影响包括工厂获取磷酸盐的未来改进的潜力。磷酸盐是植物生长所必需的，而且常常限制作物产量。磷肥成本正在增加，化肥径流污染了水生生态系统，因此，需要提高磷肥的使用效率。AM共生和植物细胞对磷的感知的基础知识可能为提高作物对磷的利用效率的新方法提供基础。该项目将为处于职业生涯不同阶段的研究人员提供培训，从高中生到博士后研究人员。特别是，它将向高中生和少数民族本科生介绍植物遗传学和植物细胞生物学的概念。

Most flowering plants are capable of forming symbiotic associations (called arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis) with soil fungi. These associations develop in the plant root, where, in exchange for carbon, the fungus transfers phosphate from the soil to the root. Currently, relatively little is known about the mechanisms of symbiotic development. This project aims to determine the functions of two novel plant proteins that are essential for development of AM symbiosis. The project also focuses on symbiotic phosphate transport and aims to determine how plant cells sense phosphate delivery by the fungus. The investigators will use genetics, molecular and cell biology techniques to assess the sub-cellular locations and functions of these proteins in plant cells. It is expected that these studies will reveal new information about how plant root cells build symbiotic membranes and also how they sense phosphate. This fundamental knowledge will advance the current understanding of AM symbiosis and aspects of plant cell biology in general. The broader impacts of this work include the potential for future improvements in phosphate acquisition by plants. Phosphate is essential for plant growth and is often limiting for crop production. Phosphate fertilization costs are increasing and fertilizer runoff contaminates aquatic ecosystems, consequently, improvements in the efficiency of phosphate fertilizer use are needed. Fundamental knowledge of AM symbiosis and phosphate sensing by plant cells may provide the basis for new approaches to increase phosphate use efficiency in crop plants. This project will provide training for researchers at various stages of their careers from high school students to postdoctoral researchers. In particular, it will introduce high school students and minority undergraduate students to concepts of plant genetics and plant cell biology.