拟南芥ESCRT复合体蛋白VPS46调控气孔发育分子机制研究

气孔是植物地上部表皮中的一种特殊细胞结构，调节着植物的光合作用和蒸腾作用。气孔的形成和发育经历多种形式的细胞分裂和分化，是研究植物发育的理想系统。内体分拣转运复合体（Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport, ESCRT）通过参与膜蛋白的转运和降解过程，从而参与细胞分裂和细胞的自噬过程。VPS46是该复合体的重要调控亚基，通过对生长素运输载体PIN调控参与植物发育过程。我们的研究结果表明，vps46.1 vps46.2双突变体表皮中气孔世系细胞冗余分裂，产生气孔簇。本项目拟利用分子生物学、生物化学、细胞生物学和遗传学等方法，通过验证VPS46蛋白和相关蛋白是否通过对参与气孔发育受体（包括ER、TMM、SERK等）蛋白在气孔世袭细胞内的分拣和降解的研究，揭示ESCRT复合体参与气孔发育的信号调控途径。

Stomata are plant-specific epidermal structures that control gas and water exchange between plants and the atmosphere. Stomatal development involves a series of cell divisions and differentiation, which provides an ideal research system for understanding the development of multicellular higher plants. The ESCRT complex (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport) is a conserved complex which mediates the lysosomal degradation of transmembrane proteins, and is involved in cell division and autophagy process. VPS46 is a member of the ESCRT complex which mediates different aspects of plant development through regulating PIN proteins transport. Our results indicate that vps46.1 vps46.2 double mutants produced small stomatal lineage cells and stomata clusters. In this study, we will employ molecular biology, biochemistry, cellular biology, and genetics strategies to study whether the transport and degradation of key stomatal receptors, such as ER, SERK, and TMM, are regulated by VPS46 in the stomatal linage cells. This study will enrich our understanding of ESCRT-mediated lysosomal degradation of transmembrane proteins pathway and reveal its function in stomatal development.