Reprogramming of tRNAs in virulence of plant pathogenic Rhodococcus

植物病原红球菌毒力中 tRNA 的重编程

• 批准号: 2020451
• 负责人: Jeffrey Chang
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: Oregon State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-07-01 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2020451&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Reprogramming; tRNAs; virulence; plant; pathogenic

The overarching goal of this project is to understand the mechanisms by which bacteria cause disease to plants. This project focuses on one group of bacteria, called Rhodococcus. Most bacteria are not pathogenic to plants and are associated with beneficial effects, such as promoting growth of plants and protecting them from disease caused by other pathogens. However, Rhodococcus can acquire extra DNA called plasmids that transition them to being pathogenic. Hence, genes on these plasmids are critical for these bacteria to cause disease, which is typically associated with disfigured growth. This disease results in millions of dollars of damage to US agriculture. By understanding how plasmid-borne genes function and manipulate the genome of the bacteria to cause disease, this project will inform on strategies to help US growers mitigate disease risks. As part of the project, there will be two outreach components designed to address goals of increasing participation by underrepresented students. Summer biology camps will be delivered to high school students to learn the scientific process and give them a college experience. Long-term, mentored research opportunities will be provided to undergraduate students to help prepare them for careers in the sciences.Virulence plasmids are necessary and sufficient to transition Rhodococcus to being a pathogen of plants. Two plasmid loci have been identified as necessary. The fasR locus encodes a transcription factor. The fas locus encodes proteins implicated in the metabolism of cytokinins. The regulon of fasR remains unknown. In contrast, a long-standing hypothesis suggests that cytokinins, which are best known as plant growth promoting hormones, are synthesized by microbes to directly manipulate plant hosts. Research will test an alternative hypothesis that plasmid-encoded genes and cytokinins coopt and reprogram chromosomal genes for virulence. Three aims are designed to determine the necessity and sufficiency of genes in pathogenesis, understand how virulence genes are regulated, and test the role of cytokinins in regulating virulence of bacterial pathogens. To accomplish these aims, the project will use molecular genetic approaches and whole transcriptomics as well as proteomics studies to uncover how plasmid borne virulence genes alter the expression patterns of chromosomal genes to cause disease to plants.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目的首要目标是了解细菌引起植物疾病的机制。该项目重点关注一组细菌，称为红球菌。大多数细菌对植物不具有致病性，并且具有有益作用，例如促进植物生长并保护它们免受其他病原体引起的疾病。然而，红球菌可以获得称为质粒的额外 DNA，将其转变为致病性。因此，这些质粒上的基因对于这些细菌引起疾病至关重要，而疾病通常与生长畸形有关。这种疾病给美国农业造成了数百万美元的损失。通过了解质粒携带的基因如何发挥作用并操纵细菌基因组以引起疾病，该项目将提供帮助美国种植者减轻疾病风险的策略。作为该项目的一部分，将有两个外展部分，旨在实现增加代表性不足的学生参与的目标。夏季生物营将为高中生提供，以学习科学过程并为他们提供大学体验。将为本科生提供长期的指导性研究机会，帮助他们为科学职业做好准备。毒力质粒对于将红球菌转变为植物病原体来说是必要且充分的。已鉴定出两个必要的质粒基因座。 fasR 基因座编码转录因子。 fas 基因座编码与细胞分裂素代谢有关的蛋白质。 fasR 的调节子仍然未知。相比之下，一个长期存在的假设表明，细胞分裂素（最著名的是植物生长促进激素）是由微生物合成的，可以直接操纵植物宿主。研究将检验另一种假设，即质粒编码基因和细胞分裂素共同选择并重新编程染色体基因以产生毒力。三个目标旨在确定基因在发病机制中的必要性和充分性，了解毒力基因是如何调节的，并测试细胞分裂素在调节细菌病原体毒力中的作用。为了实现这些目标，该项目将利用分子遗传学方法和全转录组学以及蛋白质组学研究来揭示质粒携带的毒力基因如何改变染色体基因的表达模式从而导致植物患病。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。