Collaborative Research: Redox and Metabolomic Regulatory Mechanisms Underlying Guard Cell ABA Signal Transduction

智力优势。研究小组将利用现代生物学工具来了解一种重要的植物激素脱落酸（阿坝）在保卫细胞中的信号转导过程。保卫细胞是高度特化的植物表皮细胞，包围着称为气孔的小孔。气孔运动（由保卫细胞的膨压变化实现）控制光合作用的CO2吸收和蒸腾水分损失，因此在植物生长和适应环境胁迫中起重要作用。阿坝是干旱胁迫的一个重要指标。它通过由蛋白质和代谢物组成的复杂的细胞内信号网络诱导气孔关闭，从而促进植物水分保持。本研究将分析许多蛋白质，特别是那些受到还原和氧化（氧化还原）修饰，在保卫细胞阿坝信号转导的作用。还将表征阿坝处理后保卫细胞中关键细胞内代谢物的动态变化。该项目预计将识别新的氧化还原调节蛋白和代谢产物，并将其纳入阿坝信号转导的功能背景。该项目的资源将通过可公开访问的网络界面和FTP站点分发，以实现最大的科学影响。预计该项目将提供有关气孔运动的调节机制的全面知识，这将有助于培育耐旱性更强、生产力更高的作物。更广泛的影响。该项目将使整个社会受益，因为更好地了解阿坝信号转导将为合理的作物工程提供信息，以提高农业产量和抗逆性。由于蛋白质氧化还原调节是一个普遍存在的生物过程，基本上发生在每一种生物体，包括植物，动物和微生物，该项目中开发的数据，技术和资源将对广泛的科学家具有直接价值，并将通过网络界面和FTP站点以及出版物和科学会议进行传播。该项目将涉及对包括高中生、本科生和研究生在内的人员进行现代生物科学前沿领域的跨学科培训。鉴于大规模和高通量蛋白质分析（蛋白质组学）的知识还没有普及，蛋白质组学研讨会将在全国范围内为研究生和博士后提供服务。来自Chen和Assmann实验室的研究生和博士后将参与开发和运行研讨会，从而获得标准课堂环境之外的宝贵教学经验。将从代表性不足的群体中招募学生参加培训。

Intellectual Merit. The research team will use modern biological tools to understand signal transduction processes of an important plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), in guard cells. Guard cells are highly specialized plant epidermal cells that enclose tiny pores called stomata. Stomatal movements (enabled by turgor changes in guard cells) control both CO2 uptake for photosynthesis and transpirational water loss, and thus play important roles in plant growth and acclimation to environmental stresses. ABA is a key indicator of drought stress. It induces stomatal closure via an intricate intracellular signaling network comprised of proteins and metabolites, thereby promoting plant water conservation. This research will analyze the roles of many proteins, especially those subject to reduction and oxidation (redox) modifications, in guard cell ABA signal transduction. Dynamic changes in key intracellular metabolites in guard cells upon ABA treatment will also be characterized. The project is expected to identify novel redox-regulated proteins and metabolites and put them into functional context of ABA signal transduction. The resources from this project will be distributed via a publicly accessible web interface and FTP sites for maximum scientific impact. The project is expected to provide comprehensive knowledge of regulatory mechanisms underlying stomatal movements that will help to develop crops with enhanced drought tolerance and improved productivity. Broader Impacts. This project will benefit society at large because a better understanding of ABA signal transduction will inform rational crop engineering for better agricultural yield and stress tolerance. Since protein redox regulation is a ubiquitous biological process, occurring in essentially every organism including plants, animals, and micro-organisms, the data, techniques and resources developed in the project will be of immediate value to a broad range of scientists and will be disseminated via a web interface and FTP sites, as well as in publications and at scientific conferences. The project will involve cross-disciplinary training of personnel, including high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, in the frontiers of modern biological sciences. Given that knowledge of large-scale and high-throughput protein analysis (proteomics) is still not widespread, a proteomics workshop will be offered to graduate students and post-doctorates nationwide. Graduate students and post-doctorates from the Chen and Assmann laboratories will participate in developing and running the workshop, thus gaining valuable experience in teaching outside the standard classroom setting. Students from under-represented groups will be recruited for the training opportunities.