Investigating terpene metabolism in Medicago truncatula

研究蒺藜苜蓿的萜烯代谢

• 批准号: 2300060
• 负责人: Sibongile Mafu
• 金额: $ 62.55万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2027-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2300060&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Investigating; terpene; metabolism; Medicago; truncatula

The focus of this research is to understand how plants produce chemicals in response to different environmental cues. The knowledge attained will augment basic understanding of the biosynthetic pathways for plant specialized metabolites which have important functions in plant communication and defense. It therefore also has the potential to improve crop resilience and agricultural productivity. Legumes are important crops providing a significant portion of protein in human and animal diets and are also essential in cropping systems contributing to sustainability. This project examines how legumes, in particular the model legume Medicago truncatula produces terpenoids, important chemicals that respond to diverse environmental stresses. To accomplish this goal a team of students comprised of undergraduates, doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars will be trained to carry out projects centered on discovery and biochemical analysis of genes involved in the building blocks of terpenoids. Concurrently, the researchers will generate genetic lines that are no longer capable of producing select terpenes to probe the direct eco-physiological importance of these chemicals. This work will provide an informative resource for research in crop legumes. Topics related to the research area are incorporated into an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory class as well as a short module focused on visualizing chemicals targeted at middle and high school students. Legumes are important crops because of their agronomic, nutritional and environmental benefits. It is imperative to understand factors that influence their yield and quality. Plants produce a diverse array of specialized metabolites to ensure adaptation to their ecological niche. Terpenoids, a major class of specialized metabolites, play an important role in gene-by-environment interactions, as demonstrated in agricultural crops such as rice and maize. However, terpenoid diversity, evolution and possible ecophysiological significance remains relatively unknown in legumes. Specifically, this project focuses on the experimental definition of gene to metabolite relationship of the terpenome through phylogenetic and biochemical analysis. It also examines the importance of terpenes in response to environmental stress through assessment of the effect of (a)biotic stresses in select genetic knockouts. Improved knowledge of the terpenome will give insights to molecular determinants of chemical responses which are an avenue for insight into improving crop resilience.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.

这项研究的重点是了解植物如何响应不同的环境线索产生化学物质。所获得的知识将增加对植物专门代谢物的生物合成途径的基本理解，这些代谢物在植物通讯和防御中具有重要功能。因此，它还具有提高作物复原力和农业生产力的潜力。豆类是重要的作物，为人类和动物的饮食提供了很大一部分蛋白质，也是促进可持续性的种植系统所必需的。该项目研究豆科植物，特别是模式豆科植物截形苜蓿如何产生萜类化合物，这些化合物是应对不同环境压力的重要化学物质。为了实现这一目标，将培训由本科生，博士生和博士后学者组成的学生团队，以开展以发现和生化分析萜类化合物构建模块中所涉及的基因为中心的项目。同时，研究人员将产生不再能够产生选择萜烯的遗传品系，以探测这些化学物质的直接生态生理重要性。这项工作将为豆科作物的研究提供信息资源。与研究领域相关的主题被纳入本科生生物化学实验室课程，以及一个简短的模块，专注于可视化针对初中和高中学生的化学品。豆科植物是重要的作物，因为它们具有农艺、营养和环境效益。必须了解影响其产量和质量的因素。植物产生各种各样的专门代谢物，以确保适应其生态位。萜类化合物是一类重要的特化代谢物，在基因与环境的相互作用中起着重要作用，如在水稻和玉米等农作物中所证明的。然而，萜类化合物的多样性，进化和可能的生理生态意义仍然相对未知的豆类。具体而言，本项目的重点是通过系统发育和生化分析的实验定义的基因代谢物的萜烯组的关系。它还通过评估（a）选择基因敲除中的生物胁迫的影响来检查萜烯在应对环境胁迫中的重要性。对萜烯组的进一步了解将有助于深入了解化学反应的分子决定因素，这是深入了解提高作物适应力的途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。