Molecular Mechanisms of Stomatal Carbon Dioxide Signal Transduction in Plants

植物叶片中专门的气孔（称为气孔）的打开和关闭调节植物对空气中二氧化碳的吸收，以及植物组织中水分（以蒸汽的形式）向空气中的损失。气孔的打开和关闭是由包括空气中二氧化碳浓度在内的信号调节的，但关于这是如何实现的知识还不完整。该项目将确定二氧化碳对气孔的调控所涉及的基因、蛋白质和控制网络，并为培育具有更好生长特性和水分利用效率的植物提供必要的知识。操纵植物这些特性的能力对于不利的天气条件、气候变化、某些地区干旱变得更加频繁以及空气中二氧化碳含量增加很重要。调查人员将开展一项拓展计划，包括研究实习、专业准备和指导圣地亚哥县公立普鲁斯学校的弱势高中生，以及与霍华德大学的暑期研究实习生合作。项目人员将积极参与圣地亚哥科学节，这是一个将科学和创新带到公众身边的大型年度活动。调控气孔孔径的二氧化碳信号网络的一些组分（包括碳酸酐酶、阴离子通道和蛋白激酶）是已知的。然而，保护细胞将各种信号、基因和蛋白质（其中许多仍有待发现）整合到控制气孔孔径的网络中的方式尚不清楚。该项目将结合系统生物学、生物化学、遗传和数学建模方法来识别信号网络的其他关键分子成分，并深入了解该网络在保护细胞中调节气孔孔径的方式，以及植物如何提高其水分利用效率和抗旱能力。该奖项由分子和细胞生物科学部的细胞动力学和功能项目以及物理部的生命系统物理学项目共同支持。

Specialized pores (called stomata) in the leaves of plants open and close to regulate the uptake into plants of carbon dioxide from the air, and the loss of water (as vapor) from plant tissues out into the air. The opening and closing of stomata is regulated by signals that include the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, but knowledge of how this is achieved is incomplete. This project will define the genes, proteins and networks of control involved in the regulation of stomata by carbon dioxide, and develop the knowledge necessary for the breeding of plants with improved growth properties and water use efficiency. The ability to manipulate these properties of plants is important for unfavorable weather conditions, climate changes, droughts becoming more frequent in some locations, and as carbon dioxide levels in the air increase. The investigators will pursue an outreach program involving research internships, professional preparation and mentoring with the public Preuss School for disadvantaged high school students in San Diego County as well as engaging with summer research interns from Howard University. Project personnel will be active within the San Diego Science Festival, a large annual event that brings science and innovation close to the public.Some components (including carbonic anhydrase, anion channels and protein kinases) of the carbon dioxide signaling network that regulates stomatal aperture are known. However, the manner in which diverse signals, genes and proteins (a number of which are still to be uncovered) are integrated by guard cells into the network that controls stomatal aperture is not known. This project will use a combination of systems biology, biochemical, genetic and mathematical modeling approaches to identify additional critical molecular components of the signaling network and gain insight into the manner in which this network operates in guard cells to regulate stomatal aperture and how plants can improve their water use efficiency and drought resilience.This award is supported jointly by the Cellular Dynamics and Function program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and by the Physics of Living Systems program in the Division of Physics.