拟南芥泛素连接酶AIL1调控草酸诱导植物细胞死亡的机制

自然界中的酸性物质，比如一些死体营养型真菌分泌的草酸以及空气污染产生的酸雨等，都能引起植物细胞死亡。然而，人们对于酸处理引起植物细胞死亡的分子机制还知之甚少。在前期研究中，我们发现一个拟南芥E3泛素连接酶基因AIL1（Acid-Induced E3 Ligase1）在植物被草酸处理后快速上调表达。进一步的研究表明，AIL1参与了对草酸处理诱发植物细胞死亡的正调控。有意思的是，草酸处理也能诱导AIL1发生磷酸化修饰。为了解析AIL1调控草酸诱导植物细胞死亡的分子机制，本项目将分析AIL1磷酸化的生物学功能，鉴定AIL1的泛素化底物，阐明AIL1对其底物的作用机制。本研究不仅会促进人们对酸处理诱导植物细胞死亡分子机制的认识，也将为通过遗传工程手段提高植物对一些死体营养型真菌的抗性提供理论基础和基因资源。

In the nature, acid substances, such as acid rain caused by air pollution and the phytotoxin oxalic acid (OA) secreted by a wide range of necrotrophic plant fungi, can trigger cell death in plants. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown yet. Based on our preliminary data, we found that an Arabidopsis E3 ubiquitn ligase gene AIL1 (Acid-Induced E3 Ligase1) may positively regulate OA-induced cell death in plants. Furthermore, OA treatment induces the phosphorylation of AIL1. To investigate the mechanisms underlying AIL1 functioning in the cell death induced by OA, we are planning to analyze the role of AIL1 phosphorylation, identify the substrates of AIL1, examine the ubiquitiantion of the AIL1's substrate, and elucidate the consequence of this ubiquitiantion. Our work will help to understand the underlying mechanisms of cell death indcuced by acid, and may also provide new genetic resources for molecular breeding of plants resistant to necrotrophic fungi.