RUI: Elucidating and Manipulating the Role of Malate in the Maintenance of Stomatal Aperture

拉波特教授的研究项目的目的是利用基因工程来改变植物对灌溉条件下生长的反应。 灌溉被广泛用于防止干旱造成的作物损失。 在美国，大约70%的人类转移的水用于灌溉农作物。 灌溉使河流干涸，造成农田盐碱化，从而降低了作物产量。 转基因作物在灌溉条件下使用较少的水，有可能节省大量的灌溉水，减少对农田的破坏。植物使用的大部分水通过叶片表面的气孔流失到大气中。 与气孔相邻的特化保卫细胞通过保卫细胞中某些离子浓度的变化来控制气孔的开闭。 Laporte教授的研究重点是这些离子之一，苹果酸，当气孔打开时，苹果酸在保卫细胞中保持高浓度。 苹果酸的代谢与气孔关闭有关。 Laporte教授将研究代谢苹果酸的酶，以寻找改变其活性的方法，从而调节气孔开口的大小，同时保持气孔功能对植物的最佳生长至关重要。该项目的长期目标不仅包括更好地了解保卫细胞中苹果酸代谢调节气孔开口大小的方式，而且也是在灌溉条件下保守用水的植物的实际分子工程。 为了实现这一目标，Laporte教授将对苹果酸代谢酶的基因进行遗传研究，确定哪种形式的酶是在保卫细胞中产生的。 然后，她将评估气孔开口的大小和水分的使用在植物中，使更多的代谢酶在保卫细胞比平常，植物，使没有代谢酶在保卫细胞，植物，使突变代谢酶在保卫细胞。 这些实验将为Laporte教授设计一种使用较少灌溉水的植物提供信息。通过这个研究项目，Laporte教授还将为本科生的培养做出贡献。 东密歇根大学拥有高素质的本科生，他们对与教师进行一对一培训感兴趣。 虽然许多欧洲货币联盟的学生继续研究生或专业学校或加入科学劳动力;一个更大的数字成为K-12教师。 在追求这项研究目标的同时，拉波特教授将培养有前途的本科生，包括代表性不足的少数民族成员，他们将成为下一代科学家和教师。 EMU与当地K-12教学社区之间的广泛联系为高中学生以及现任和未来的教师提供了学习和参与拉波特教授研究计划的机会。 在这个项目中使用的许多分子、生物化学和生理学技术，沿着批判性思维技能，可以适用于高中课堂。

The purpose of Prof. Laporte's research project is to use genetic engineering to alter plant responses to growth under irrigation. Irrigation is widely used to prevent crop losses due to drought. In the United States, approximately 70% of the water diverted by humans is used to irrigate crops. Irrigation has dried up rivers and caused salinization of crop land, which reduces crop productivity. Genetically modified crops that use less water under irrigation conditions have the potential to save massive amounts of irrigation water and to reduce the destruction of farm land.The majority of water used by plants is lost to the atmosphere through openings called stomata on leaf surfaces. Specialized guard cells that border the stomata control stomatal opening and closing through changes in the concentrations of certain ions in the guard cells. Prof. Laporte's research focuses on one of these ions, malate, which is maintained at high concentrations in guard cells when stomata are open. The metabolism of malate is linked to stomatal closure. Prof. Laporte will study the enzyme that metabolizes malate to look for ways of altering its activity, thereby modulating the size of the stomatal opening while maintaining the stomatal function critical to optimal plant growth.The long-term goals of this project include not only a better understanding of the way in which malate metabolism in guard cells regulates the size of the stomatal opening, but also the actual molecular engineering of plants with conservative water use under irrigation. In order to accomplish this, Prof. Laporte will conduct genetic studies of the gene for the malate-metabolizing enzyme, identifying which form of the enzyme is made in guard cells. She will then evaluate the size of the stomatal opening and the use of water in plants that make more the metabolizing enzyme in guard cells than usual, plants that make no metabolizing enzyme in guard cells, and plants that make a mutant metabolizing enzyme in guard cells. These experiments will provide the information Prof. Laporte will use to engineer a plant that uses less irrigation water.Through this research project, Prof. Laporte will also contribute to the training of undergraduate students. Eastern Michigan University has a diverse student body of high-quality undergraduates who are interested in one-on-one training with faculty members. Although many EMU students go on to graduate or professional school or join the scientific workforce; an even larger number become K-12 teachers. While pursuing the goals of this research, Prof. Laporte will train promising undergraduate students, including members of underrepresented minorities, who will become the next generation of scientists and teachers. The extensive connections between EMU and the local K-12 teaching community provide opportunities for high school students, as well as current and future teachers, to learn from and become involved in Prof. Laporte's research program. Many of the molecular, biochemical, and physiological techniques used in this project, along with the accompanying critical thinking skills, can be adapted for use in high school classrooms.