Metabolic and signaling interactions between plant mitochondria and chloroplasts

作物的生长和生产力取决于植物代谢的能力，以有效地发挥作用，在广泛的环境条件下，在外地经历。全球努力提高作物产量的一个核心主题是需要更好地了解新陈代谢是如何发挥作用的，特别是在预计未来将变得更加普遍的不利（压力）条件下。因此，我的研究计划调查关键的非生物和生物压力的影响，以及全球变化因素，如大气中二氧化碳浓度升高，对新陈代谢的影响。其目标是揭示碳和能量代谢对胁迫的特征性反应，阐明这些反应如何支持对胁迫的适应，并产生在胁迫下改善代谢功能和植物性能所需的知识基础。重点是植物细胞的两个主要能量转换细胞器（叶绿体和叶绿体）和主要代谢中心之间发生的相互作用，包括呼吸，光合作用和营养同化。此外，相关的活性氧和活性氮代谢网络的影响进行了研究。这些活性物质可以破坏新陈代谢，但也是支持生长，发育和应激适应的关键信号分子。为了实现我们的目标，采取了综合方法，即在整个植物，细胞和细胞器水平上使用生理，生物化学和分子生物学方法的组合来研究过程。拟议的研究将提供导师和培训，7名研究生（4博士，3硕士）。和众多的本科生。这将包括促进独立性和多学科方法，同时在一个支持性和包容性的环境中工作。交替氧化酶（AOX）是植物呼吸作用中降低能量产量的代谢组分。尽管在理解AOX的遗传和生化控制方面取得了关键进展，但其在代谢中的作用及其对植物性能的总体影响仍然知之甚少。这代表了我们对初级代谢理解的一个主要差距。AOX基因的表达对环境信号高度敏感，有证据表明它在可变和胁迫条件下可能特别重要。从理论上讲，AOX应该会对生长产生负面影响，因为它会降低能量产量。然而，它可能在代谢和线粒体功能中发挥关键作用，超过这种能量消耗。我们推测，虽然AOX是一种呼吸成分，它广泛地与叶绿体光合作用相互作用。这些相互作用，反过来，提高光合性能。为了检验这一假设，可以将具有增加或减少的AOX量的植物与野生型植物进行比较。植物生长和代谢可以在一系列环境和胁迫条件下，以及在受控环境和田间环境中进行表征。**

Crop growth and productivity depends on the capacity of plant metabolism to function effectively over the wide range of environmental conditions experienced in the field. A core theme of worldwide efforts to improve crop yield is the need to better understand how metabolism functions, particularly under the less favorable (stress) conditions that are expected to become more prevalent in the future. Hence, my research program investigates the impact of key abiotic and biotic stresses, as well as global change factors such as elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO2, on metabolism. The goal is to uncover the signature responses of carbon and energy metabolism to stress, to elucidate how these responses support acclimation to stress, and to generate the knowledge foundation required to improve metabolic function and plant performance under stress. Emphasis is on the two major energy-transducing organelles of the plant cell (the mitochondrion and the chloroplast) and on the interactions that occur between major metabolic hubs including respiration, photosynthesis and nutrient assimilation. In addition, the impact of the related reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen metabolic networks is investigated. These reactive species can damage metabolism but are also key signaling molecules supporting growth, development and stress acclimation. To achieve our goals, an integrative approach is taken, whereby processes are studied at the whole plant, cell and organelle levels using a combination of physiological, biochemical and molecular biological approaches. The proposed research will provide mentorship and training to seven graduate students (4 Ph.D, 3 M.Sc.) and numerous undergraduate students. This will include a fostering of independence and multidisciplinary approaches, while working in a supportive and inclusive environment.******Alternative oxidase (AOX) is a metabolic component that reduces energy yield in plant respiration. Despite key advances in understanding the genetic and biochemical control of AOX, its role in metabolism and its overall impact on plant performance remains poorly understood. This represents a major gap in our understanding of primary metabolism. AOX gene expression is highly responsive to environmental cues and evidence indicates that it may be of particular importance under variable and stress conditions. Theoretically, AOX should negatively affect growth since it reduces energy yield. However, it may have key roles in metabolism and mitochondrial function that outweigh this energy cost. We hypothesize that, while AOX is a respiratory component, it interacts extensively with chloroplast photosynthesis. These interactions, in turn, improve photosynthetic performance. To test this hypothesis, plants with increased or decreased AOX amount can be compared to wild-type plants. Plant growth and metabolism can be characterized under a range of environmental and stress conditions, and in both controlled-environment and field settings. **