RUI: reprogramming cellular processes in proteasome-inhibited plants

这个项目的目标是通过研究蛋白酶体和蛋白酶体抑制来更好地了解植物对环境胁迫的反应。蛋白酶体是所有动植物细胞内的蛋白质复合体，它们降解受损的蛋白质以防止它们的有毒聚集。这种损伤可以由身体压力引起；然而，这种应激源也可能抑制蛋白酶体的活性。因此，研究的重点将是了解植物在蛋白酶体抑制过程中如何重新编程它们的细胞活动。更好地了解植物对环境胁迫的反应最终可能会提高作物产量和粮食安全。该项目将为卡罗莱纳海岸大学的12名本科生提供培训。肢体残疾学生将参与这项研究，并将加强科学学院和无障碍与残疾服务办公室之间的联系；这种合作可能会成为其他大学寻求增加这一群体-S参与STEM学科的典范。由于这个项目将研究和教学结合在一起，它还将促进以实验室为基础的课程的修订，以加强课程设置。这项研究调查了植物蛋白酶体，它通过安全地移除因胁迫而造成的受损蛋白质来避免细胞毒性。然而，严重的氧化胁迫会降低植物中蛋白酶体的活性，本项目的目的是确定导致其损伤的机制。与酵母和哺乳动物的模型不同，蛋白酶体抑制在植物中的作用尚不清楚。该项目旨在通过研究细胞过程如何对蛋白酶体抑制做出反应来解决植物生物学中的这一差距。呼吸测量、生化和基因组学方法将被用来揭示蛋白酶体抑制是否协调代谢以恢复氨基酸水平或调节抗氧化剂代谢。这项研究的结果将描述与哺乳动物和酵母细胞相比，植物对蛋白酶体抑制的反应方式。

The goal of this project is to better understand how plants respond to environmental stress through the study of proteasomes and proteasome inhibition. Proteasomes are protein complexes inside all plant and animal cells that degrade damaged proteins to prevent their toxic aggregation. Such damage can arise from physical stress; however, such stressors may also inhibit proteasome activity. Thus, the focus of the research will be to understand how plants reprogram their cellular activities during proteasome inhibition. A better understanding of plant responses to environmental stress may ultimately improve crop yield and food security. The project will allow the training of twelve undergraduate students at Coastal Carolina University. Students with physical disabilities will participate in the research, and will strengthen the ties between the College of Science and Office of Accessibility and Disability Services; this collaboration may serve as a model to other universities seeking to increase this group?s participation in STEM disciplines. As this project integrates both research and teaching, it will also facilitate the revision of a laboratory-based class that will serve to strengthen the curriculum. This research investigates plant proteasomes, which avert cytotoxicity by safely removing damaged proteins that result from stress. However, severe oxidative stress decreases proteasome activity in plants, and this project aims to identify mechanisms that contribute to its impairment. In contrast to yeast and mammalian models, the effects of proteasome inhibition in plants are not understood. This project intends to address this gap in plant biology by examining how cellular processes are altered in response to proteasome inhibition. Respirometry, biochemical, and -omic approaches will be used to reveal if proteasome inhibition coordinates metabolism to restore amino acid levels or adjust antioxidant metabolism. The outcomes of the study will describe differences in how plants respond to proteasome inhibition compared to mammalian and yeast cells.