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产生化学物质来响应不同的环境提示。所获得的知识将增强对植物特定代谢产物生物合成途径的基本了解，这些代谢产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。豆类是重要的农作物，在人和动物的饮食中提供相当大比例的蛋白质，也是有助于可持续发展的种植制度中的关键。这个项目研究豆类植物，特别是模式豆科植物紫花苜蓿是如何产生萜类化合物的，这是一种对不同环境压力做出反应的重要化学物质。为了实现这一目标，一个由本科生、博士生和博士后学者组成的学生团队将接受培训，以开展以发现和生化分析参与萜类化合物组成的基因为中心的项目。与此同时，研究人员将产生不再能够产生精选萜烯的遗传系，以探索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课，以及一个专注于将针对初中生的化学物质可视化的简短模块。豆科植物因其农艺、营养和环境效益而成为重要的农作物。必须了解影响其产量和质量的因素。植物产生一系列不同的专门代谢物，以确保适应它们的生态位。萜类化合物是一类主要的特殊代谢产物，在基因与环境的相互作用中发挥着重要作用，在水稻和玉米等农作物中得到了证明。然而，豆科植物中萜类化合物的多样性、进化和可能的生态生理意义仍然相对未知。具体地说，本项目通过系统发育和生化分析对萜烯组基因与代谢物关系的实验定义进行了研究。它还通过评估(A)生物胁迫在选择的基因敲除中的影响，检查了萜烯在应对环境胁迫中的重要性。对萜烯组知识的提高将使人们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抗逆性的途径。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。