EAGER: Plant Sensory Perception via Heme Modulation of K+ Channels

植物生物学的主要目标之一是发现如何优化植物生长以最大限度地提高作物产量。该项目的目标是对植物如何平衡生长与水分流失的机制进行理解。本提案中描述的实验将为在各种生长条件下如何优化作物生产提供新的见解。该项目依赖于神经科学技术在植物细胞上的应用，以确定这些细胞如何在分子水平上对刺激作出反应。在这个项目的过程中，在植物上进行的实验结果可能反过来为未来研究类似的信号通路如何影响许多不同物种的神经系统功能提供有价值的信息。这些植物细胞反应对整个植物生长和水分保持的影响也将被评估。这种创新的方法为学生提供了在植物生物学和神经科学方面获得跨学科培训的难得机会。该项目将作为研究生和本科生研究人员的培训基地，在某些情况下为后者提供他们的第一次研究经验。此外，它将支持调查人员的教育推广工作，旨在向代表性不足的初中生和高中生介绍科学职业。本提案中概述的实验专门针对定义细胞氧化状态和气体信使调节植物保护细胞K+通道和气孔开度的分子机制。保护细胞气孔的开启和关闭在很大程度上是由这些通道介导的，并且对氧化态和气体非常敏感。然而，连接这些细胞信号与K+通道活性变化的分子途径尚不清楚。在这个项目中，研究人员将测试一个新的假设，即氧化态和气态信使通过与通道本身相结合的假基直接调节K+通道活性。这一假设是基于发现许多CNBD家族阳离子通道的门控，包括这些植物K+通道和几种重要的动物CNBD家族通道，由类似的假体群调节。

One of the major goals of plant biology is to find out how plant growth can be optimized to maximize crop production. The goal of this project is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how plants balance growth with water loss. The experiments described in this proposal will provide new insights into how crop plant production could be optimized under various growing conditions. The project relies on application to plant cells of techniques used in neuroscience in order determine how these cells respond to stimuli on the molecular level. Results of experiments performed on plants during the course of this project may in turn provide valuable information for future studies on how similar signaling pathways impact nervous system function in many different species of animals. The impact of these plant cellular responses on whole plant growth and water conservation will also be assessed. This innovative approach provides an unusual opportunity for students to gain cross-disciplinary training in both plant biology and neuroscience. The project will serve as a training ground for both graduate and undergraduate researchers, in some cases providing the latter with their very first research experience. Furthermore, it will support educational outreach efforts by the investigators targeted towards introducing science careers to underrepresented middle school and high school students.The experiments outlined in this proposal are specifically targeted at defining the molecular mechanism(s) through which cellular oxidation state and gaseous messengers regulate plant guard cell K+ channels and stomatal apertures. The opening and closing of stomata by guard cells is mediated in large part by these channels and is sensitive to oxidation state and gases. However, the molecular pathways that connect these cellular signals to changes in K+ channel activity are not yet known. In this project, the investigators will test a novel hypothesis that oxidation state and gaseous messengers regulate K+ channel activity directly through a prosthetic group integral to the channels themselves. The hypothesis is based on the finding that gating of many CNBD family cation channels, including these plant K+ channels and several important classes of animal CNBD family channels, is regulated by similar prosthetic groups.