Regulation of Arabidopsis Defense Signaling By RIN4 and Associated Proteins

植物有一个复杂的、双分支的先天免疫系统，可以诱导对几乎所有潜在病原体的抵抗力。第一个分支是基础防御，这是对广泛保守的病原体相关模式的反应。第二个分支是植物细胞死亡相关抗性，这是由植物和病原体中可变表达的基因之间的相互作用诱导的。尽管这些分支长期以来被认为是不同的，但对模式植物拟南芥的RIN4蛋白的研究已经证明了它们之间的机制联系。具体来说，RIN4是植物免疫系统两个分支的调节因子。本项目包括研究通过磷酸化修饰RIN4如何调节其功能，以及RIN4相互作用蛋白如何介导RIN4的活性。这些研究将极大地促进对拟南芥中每个分支如何起作用的理解。更重要的是，这两个分支之间的关系将被阐明，这将促进对所有植物免疫系统进化和功能的理解。通过了解这两个分支如何共同抵抗几乎所有的感染，可以在植物免疫系统失败的情况下制定疾病控制策略。此外，由于动物先天免疫系统分支之间存在类似的联系，因此在植物中的这项工作将继续引领免疫学领域的进步。这项工作的结果将在会议上提出，并在同行评议的期刊上发表。这项工作对农业的影响是显而易见的。PI在与包括本科生、博士生和博士后在内的少数族裔合作方面有着良好的记录。此外，研究者是建立夏季本科生研究经验（SURE）计划的领导者，为考虑从事科学事业的本科生提供实习机会。

Plants have a sophisticated, two-branched innate immune system that induces resistance against nearly all would-be pathogens. The first branch is basal defense, which is induced in response to widely conserved pathogen-associated patterns. The second branch is plant cell-death associated resistance, which is induced by interactions between genes that are variably expressed in both plants and pathogens. Although these branches had long been considered distinct, studies on the RIN4 protein from the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, have demonstrated a mechanistic link. Specifically, RIN4 is a regulator of both branches of the plant immune system. This project includes study of how RIN4 modification by phosphorylation regulates its function and how RIN4-interacting proteins mediate activity of RIN4. These studies will significantly advance understanding of how each branch functions in Arabidopsis. More importantly, the relationship between the two branches will be elucidated, which will advance understanding of the evolution and function of the immune systems of all plants. By understanding how these two branches work together to resist nearly all infections, strategies for disease control can be developed in those cases where the plant immune system fails. Furthermore, because similar linkages are just being discovered to exist between branches of the innate immune system of animals, this work in plants will continue to lead advancement across the field of immunology.The results of this work will be presented at meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. The implications of this work to agriculture are obvious. The PI has a proven record of working with under-represented minorities, including undergraduate students, doctoral students, and post-docs. Also, the investigator is a leader in establishing the summer undergraduate research experience (SURE) program to provide internships for undergraduates considering careers in science.