Surface lipid metabolome on maize silks - Genetic regulation and protective capacity against abiotic and biotic stresses

陆地植物的气生表面受到独特的脂质的保护，这些脂质提供了抵御许多生物和环境压力的主要防线。玉米柱头花丝的表面脂质是生物学上独特的，因为它们富含碳氢化合物，这些碳氢化合物是表面脂质网络的惰性终点代谢物。该项目将利用玉米丝作为模型生物系统，通过全面解剖单个生物体内产生重要表面脂质的代谢和遗传网络，对这种独特的离散代谢过程提供基本了解。此外，该项目将阐明玉米花丝的特定表面脂质成分，这些成分提供了对环境压力（水分胁迫和昆虫摄食）的关键保护，这些压力通常会在授粉的压力期间影响玉米等作物。所有代谢物和转录组数据将存入植物代谢组学资源数据库（metnetdb.org/PMR），后者也将存入NCBI-SRA和NCBI-GEO数据库。数量性状基因座（QTL）数据将可在MaizeGDB（http：//maizegdb.org/qtl.php）上搜索，并可在用于QTL解剖的综合门户网站GeneNetwork（genenetwork.org）上获得。用于定量遗传作图群体的种子储备将存放在玉米遗传合作储备中心（http：maizecoop.cropsci.uiuc.edu）。该项目的一个重要社会影响将是通过增加作物产量和/或减少投入来增强美国作物生产的可持续性。保护性表面脂质和产生它们的基因的鉴定将为应用育种定制脂质组合物提供技术知识，所述定制脂质组合物在玉米以及其他作物中保护免受许多胁迫。此外，蚕丝表面脂质和石油成分之间的化学相似性将被用于网络生物工程中的应用，以在其他生物系统中生产先进的生物燃料。在该项目期间，来自不同社会经济、地理和种族背景的400名高中生和大学生将通过三个协同项目接触假设驱动的研究：A）与爱荷华州州立大学的科学结合项目合作，通过实践研究模块让不同的中学生参与科学教育; B）两名科学界的学生将与一名来自农村或高需求地区的高中教师和一名来自Chowan大学的学生一起进行夏季研究项目，Chowan大学是一所拥有大量少数民族入学人数的4年制本科院校。这些研究经验将有助于教师更好地吸引更多的学生进行科学探究; C）将开发一门以讨论为基础的本科课程，作为通过课程学习的基础知识与应用这些知识进行科学研究之间的桥梁。

The aerial surfaces of land plants are protected by unique lipids, which provide a primary line of defense against numerous biological and environmental stresses. The surface lipids on the stigmatic silks of maize are biologically unique because they are rich in hydrocarbons, which are the inert end-point metabolites of the surface lipid network. This project will utilize maize silks as the model biological system to provide a fundamental understanding of this unique, discrete metabolic process by comprehensively dissecting within a single organism the metabolic and genetic networks that produce important surface lipids. Moreover, this project will elucidate the specific surface lipid constituents of maize silks that provide critical protection against environmental stresses (water stress and insect feeding) that commonly impact crops like maize during the often-stressful period of pollination. All metabolite and transcriptome data will be deposited in the Plant Metabolomics Resource database (metnetdb.org/PMR) and the latter will also be deposited in the NCBI-SRA and NCBI-GEO databases. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) data will be searchable at MaizeGDB (http://maizegdb.org/qtl.php) and made available at the integrated web portal for QTL dissection, GeneNetwork (genenetwork.org). Seed stocks for quantitative genetic mapping populations will be deposited at the Maize Genetics Cooperative Stock Center (http://maizecoop.cropsci.uiuc.edu).A significant societal impact of this project will be enhancement of the sustainability of US crop production via increased crop yields and/or decreased inputs. The identification of the protective surface lipids and the genes that produce them will provide the technological know how for applied breeding of customized lipid compositions that protect against many stresses, both in corn as well as in other crops. Further, the chemical similarity between silk surface lipids and petroleum components will be leveraged for applications in network bioengineering to produce advanced biofuels in other biological systems. During the project, 400 high school and college students from diverse socioeconomic, geographic and ethnic backgrounds will be exposed to hypothesis-driven research via three synergistic programs: A) a collaboration with Iowa State University's SCIENCE BOUND program will engage diverse secondary school students in scientific education via hands-on research modules; B) two SCIENCE BOUND students will conduct summer-research projects together with a high school teacher from a rural or high needs district and with a student from Chowan University, a 4-year undergrad institution with significant minority enrollment. These research experiences will help the teachers better engage an even larger number of students in scientific inquiry; and C) a discussion-based undergraduate course will be developed to serve as a bridge between fundamental knowledge learned through coursework and the application of that knowledge for conducting scientific research.