Peroxisome membrane protein trafficking and the formation of peroxisomal multivesicular bodies

真核细胞的一个主要特征是将不同的代谢途径分割成不同的亚细胞细胞器，这一过程是由蛋白质成分在细胞内适当地运输到每个细胞器来确保的。这项拨款申请中描述的研究旨在了解过氧化物体的生物发生(组装和维护)--过氧化物体是几乎所有真核细胞中都存在的细胞器，在其形状、运动和代谢功能方面具有高度的动态。它们也是一些病毒病原体发展的重要场所。事实上，科学家们现在意识到，过氧化物体参与的过程比以前提出的要多得多，随着新的发现不断出现，过氧化物体的其他意想不到的作用可能会被发现。计划中的研究重点是阐明植物细胞中过氧化物体生物发生的分子机制，特别是内质网(ER)作为膜模板形成和维持(新的)过氧化物体的作用，以及病毒为利用过氧化物体在受感染的植物细胞内复制所采用的策略。总体而言，将利用最先进的跨学科方法来加强我们对植物生物学的基本知识，包括过氧化物体组装的基本过程和病毒复制的机制。这些研究在更广泛的背景下也将是重要的，因为这些结果可以应用于我们对其他生物体中(保守的)过氧酶体功能的理解，例如在人类中，过氧酶体生物发生的缺陷是几种遗传病的基础。最终，这项研究不仅将有助于加拿大重要农业作物的未来合理设计，以生产依赖于适当的细胞内蛋白质运输和过氧化物酶相关功能的重要营养和工业生物制品，而且还将为年轻科学家的发展提供培训，这些年轻科学家将为在加拿大学术界、政府或工业中的职业生涯做好充分准备。

A primary feature of eukaryotic cells is the compartmentalization or "division of labor" of distinct metabolic pathways into separate subcellular organelles, a process that is ensured by the proper intracellular trafficking of protein constituents to each organelle. Research described in this grant application is aimed at gaining an understanding of the biogenesis (assembly and maintenance) of peroxisomes - organelles that are found in virtually all eukaryotic cells and are highly dynamic in regards to their shapes, motility and metabolic functions. They are also important sites for the development of some viral pathogens. Indeed, scientists now appreciate that peroxisomes participate in far more processes than previously proposed and that, as new discoveries continue to be made, other unexpected roles for peroxisomes will likely be uncovered. The emphasis of the planned research is on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of peroxisomes in plant cells, specifically the role the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as the membrane template for the formation and maintenance of (new) peroxisomes and the strategies that viruses employ in order to exploit peroxisomes for their replication within infected plant cells. Overall, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary approaches will be utilized in order to enhance our basic knowledge of plant biology, including the fundamental processes of peroxisome assembly and the mechanisms of virus replication. These studies will be important also in a broader context since the results can be applied to our understanding of (conserved) peroxisome functioning in other organisms, such as in humans where defects in peroxisome biogenesis underlie several inherited diseases. Ultimately, this research will not only aid in the future rational design of important Canadian agriculture crop plants to produce important nutritional and industrial bioproducts that rely on proper intracellular protein trafficking and peroxisome-related functions, but also provide training for the development of young scientists who will be well prepared for careers in Canadian academia, government or industry.