Molecular targets and actions of ethanolamide-conjugated oxylipins in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Plants use small molecules as signals to synchronize their growth, development and responses to their environment. This proposal seeks to understand how seedlings use chemical signals to modulate their growth in response to adverse environmental conditions, a response that allows them to endure environmental stress at a time when they are most vulnerable. Specific research aims include the identification of mechanisms for signal perception, the metabolic fate of signals in seedlings after perception, and the discovery of the signaling networks activated during seedling stress. Broader applications of this research include the potential for designing new breeding targets in crops for improved field emergence. In addition, the proposed research activities are integrated with undergraduate training opportunities through a newly-designed research course at the University of North Texas, a large minority-serving, public university. N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are ethanolamide-conjugated fatty acid derivatives that in animal systems include the widely-recognized bioactive endogenous metabolites of the "endocannabinoid signaling pathway". This pathway regulates an array of physiological and behavioral processes in mammals, but despite the documented occurrence of NAEs in plant systems, their physiological actions remain incompletely understood. Recent evidence indicates that oxylipin derivatives of polyunsaturated NAEs have potent biological activities in both animal and plant systems, and in plants this may be one major route of action for NAEs. This proposal aims to expand the understanding of this group of bioactive lipids and their role as negative regulators of seedling growth in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, through the following three specific aims: 1) Identify NAE oxylipin target proteins with biotinylated probes; 2) Determine if NAE oxylipins are substrates for the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH); 3) Delineate the spatial interaction of NAE oxylipins with ABA- and G-protein signaling in roots and shoots of seedlings. Results from this research may ultimately lead to new targets for the improvement of crop emergence under environmental stress, and may also offer new strategies for reduction of competing weed emergence in early season crop establishment. In addition to the potential broader applications, this project will offer training opportunities for undergraduate students through a newly-designed research course at the University of North Texas-- Advanced Research in Life Sciences (BIOL 3900).