Molecular and physiological characterization of members of the aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) family with respect to their contribution to mineral nutrition in rice.

铝活化苹果酸转运蛋白（ALMT）已被证明是跨膜苹果酸转运蛋白。ALMT家族特定成员在铝（Al）耐受性和气孔功能中的作用已被阐明，但ALMT家族其他成员的作用尚不清楚。该项目的目的是查明对水稻矿物营养有影响的ALMT家族成员的特征。这种影响可能通过矿物阴离子运输等直接过程发生，也可能通过涉及苹果酸盐等有机阴离子运输的间接过程发生。为了阐明ALMT家族成员对水稻矿物质营养贡献的性质，本项目分为三个主要部分：(1)鉴定在宿主实验室中产生的现有转基因水稻品系的矿质营养表型；(2)鉴定来自砧板中心的适当的水稻突变系的矿质营养表型；(3)通过产生启动子：GFP转基因水稻品系和瞬时蛋白：GFP融合体进行ALMT定位研究。总而言之，这个项目概念代表了在现有种质的基础上对几种OsALMT对矿物营养的贡献进行特征描述的混合，并为今后进一步研究OsALMT家族成员的特征奠定了基础。

Aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) proteins have been shown to act as malate translocators across membranes. The role of specific ALMT family members in Aluminium (Al) tolerance and stomata function has been clarified, but the role of the remaining members of the ALMT family remains unknown. The aim of the project is to identify and characterize those members of the ALMT family having an impact on the mineral nutrition of rice. Such an impact might occur either through direct processes such as transport of mineral anions or by indirect processes that involve the transport of organic anions such as malate. To clarify the nature of the contribution of ALMT family members to rice mineral nutrition the project is divided into three main parts: (1) characterization of the mineral nutrition phenotype of existing transgenic rice lines generated in the host laboratory, (2) characterization of appropriate rice mutant lines from stock centers with respect to a mineral nutrition phenotype, and (3) ALMT localization studies through generation of promoter:GFP transgenic rice lines and transient protein:GFP fusions. In sum, this project concept represents a mix of characterizing several OsALMTs with respect to their contribution to mineral nutrition on the basis of existing germplasm and laying a basis for future work on the characterization of further OsALMT family members.