CAREER: Unraveling the Developmental Processes Underlying the Twining Motion of Vines

攀爬的藤蔓穿过森林的树冠，把自己包裹在寄主树周围，在树冠的顶部寻找光线。爬藤是森林生态系统的重要组成部分，它们经常在竞争中战胜森林树木并杀死树木。此外，由于森林破碎化和气候变化，这些植物的大小和丰度正在增加。然而，我们仍然对这些植物如何进行戏剧性的蛇状缠绕运动缺乏基本的了解。在这个职业奖中，缠绕的发展基础将被调查。将研究细胞、组织、激素和分子生物学如何相互作用以建立缠绕藤，目的是揭示藤与直立植物不同的根本原因。为了提高公众和专业人士对植物构造的认识，植物解剖计划将推出一系列的植物解剖教育短片，包括实况解剖和动画。这个视频系列将免费提供给新手，并作为专业科学家和教育工作者的入门和教学工具。在这个职业奖中，研究者试图解决以下问题——“藤蔓是如何爬升的？”利用多尺度综合方法，将基因表达、细胞壁构建和激素调节与生物形态联系起来，解释产生缠绕藤蔓的发育过程。本研究以豆科植物菜豆（Phaseolus vulgaris L.）为模式种，研究目的是：(1)研究菜豆从孪生、匍匐藤蔓到直立灌木连续习性的发育基础；(2)阐明植物激素如何决定植物习性；(3)测试凝胶纤维在孪生体中的功能作用。目前，美国分子生物学和植物解剖学在培训和教学上存在明显的不平衡，因此阻碍了植物科学的进步。这项工作的更广泛的影响目标是产生一个动画教育植物解剖视频系列。该资源将作为一种免费的资源，促进公众对植物学的了解，同时为科学界提供缺乏的专业知识。教育目标是：(1)通过调查植物界的需求，确定有针对性干预的教学差距；(2)编写、制作并传播植物解剖学系列教育视频《构建植物》；(3)将植物解剖学的学习成果融入本科课程。该奖项由bio - ios -发育系统和bio - ios -生理机制和生物力学项目共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

Climbing vines weave through the forest canopy wrapping themselves around host trees in search of light at the top of the canopy. Climbing vines are a critical part of forest ecosystems, where they frequently outcompete and kill forest trees. Moreover, these plants are increasing in size and abundance in response to forest fragmentation and climate change. However, we still lack a basic understanding of precisely how these plants perform their dramatic snake-like twining motions. In this CAREER award, the developmental basis of twining will be investigated. How cells, tissues, hormones, and molecular biology interact to build a twining vine will be investigated, with the aim of revealing the fundamental reasons that vines are distinct from erect plants. To enhance public and professional literacy of how plants are constructed – the field of plant anatomy – the PI will launch an educational video series teaching plant anatomy with live dissections and animations. This video series will be made freely available to engage novice, and as a primer and teaching tool for professional scientists and educators.In this CAREER award, the investigator seeks to address the following question – “how do vines climb?” – by leveraging a multiscale integrative approach linking gene expression, cell wall construction, and hormone regulation to organismal form to explain the developmental processes that generate twining vines. Using common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae), as the model species, the research aims of this proposal are to: (1) Characterize the developmental basis underpinning the continuum of habits, from twiners, to prostrate vine, to erect shrub; (2) Elucidate how phytohormones determine plant habit; and (3) Test the functional role of gelatinous fibers in twiners. At present, there is a significant imbalance in training and pedagogy between molecular biology and plant anatomy in the United States, therefore hindering advancements in the plant sciences. The broader impacts aim of this work is to generate an animated educational Plant Anatomy video series. This resource will serve as a freely available resource to advance public literacy of botany while providing critically absent expertise for the scientific community. The educational aims are to: (1) Identify gaps in the pedagogy for targeted intervention through surveying the needs of the botanical community; (2) Write, produce, and disseminate a plant anatomy educational videos series “Build a Plant”; and (3) Integrate plant anatomy learning outcomes in undergraduate courses.This award is co-funded by BIO-IOS-Developmental Systems and the BIO-IOS-Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics program.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.