Molecular Physiology of Phosphate Transport in Arabidopsis

IBN：0416443摘要：磷酸盐是植物生长发育所必需的。 它是制造核酸和磷脂所必需的，也在能量转移反应和许多细胞信号事件中发挥作用。 为了实现这些基本功能，植物不仅必须从土壤中获得磷酸盐，而且必须严格控制其随后在植物所有细胞和亚细胞区室中的分布。 磷酸盐的跨膜转运是调节其分布的关键步骤，然而只有少数磷酸盐转运系统在分子水平上被描述。 本项目的目的是确定组织和亚细胞分布，以及每个成员的磷酸盐转运蛋白基因家族在拟南芥命名为PHT4的生化特性和生物学作用。 PHT4家族由六个基因组成，其编码的蛋白质与动物来源的磷酸盐转运蛋白相似，但与植物中任何先前鉴定的磷酸盐转运蛋白都不相似。 蛋白质分选预测表明，转运蛋白可能位于细胞器膜内。 因此，这些转运蛋白可能具有独特的生理作用，这可能为植物中磷酸盐的亚细胞分布机制提供新的见解。 由于磷酸盐通常是植物生长的限制因素，了解植物如何利用磷酸盐具有广泛的农业和生态意义。 研究生和本科生由这笔赠款支持将接受多学科培训，并将参加会议和教学机会。

IBN: 0416443Abstract:Phosphate is essential for plant growth and development. It is needed to make nucleic acids and phospholipids, and also functions in energy transfer reactions and a host of cell-signaling events. To fulfill these fundamental roles, plants not only must acquire phosphate from the soil, but also must tightly control its subsequent distribution to all cells and subcellular compartments of the plant. The transport of phosphate across membranes is a pivotal step in regulating its distribution, yet only a few phosphate transport systems have been described at the molecular level. The objectives of this project are to determine the tissue and subcellular distribution, and the biochemical properties and biological roles of each member of a phosphate transporter gene family in Arabidopsis designated PHT4. The PHT4 family is composed of six genes that encode proteins with similarity to phosphate transporters of animal origin, but not to any previously identified phosphate transporters in plants. Protein-sorting predictions suggest that the transporters may be located within organellar membranes. Consequently, these transporters are likely to have unique physiological roles, which may provide new insights into the mechanisms governing the subcellular distribution of phosphate in plants. Because phosphate is often the limiting factor for plant growth, an understanding of how plants utilize phosphate has broad agricultural and ecological implications. Graduate and undergraduate students supported by this grant will receive multidisciplinary training and will participate in conferences and teaching opportunities.