Copper Delivery for Photosynthesis in Plants

铜在植物光合作用中起重要作用，是植物生长的重要辅助因子。当铜吸收不足时，植物会使用三种策略进行调整：植物改变其生理机能以减少对铜的需求，它们试图增加铜的吸收，并优先将铜输送到最必需的蛋白质，特别是那些在光合作用中起作用的蛋白质。该团队已经发现了关键的铜转运分子，并发现一类称为microRNA的小RNA分子在调节铜的使用中发挥作用。在这个项目中，研究人员的目标是描述所确定的成分如何协同工作，以适应即将出现的铜缺乏。在这个项目中，遗传和生物化学方法的组合将用于模式植物拟南芥。该项目可能会揭示生物体适应微量营养素缺乏的重要新机制。铜缺乏会影响作物产量和生物量生产，从而影响生产生物燃料的可能性。缺乏也影响可食用植物部分的营养价值。因此，该项目关系到人类的福祉。该项目将培训研究生以及本科生和博士后研究人员，并将涉及国家和国际合作。许多生物化学的发现，导致人类健康和福祉的改善，都来自植物科学领域的研究。为了提高对基础植物科学重要性的认识，研究小组将围绕营养与植物、光合作用与生物燃料以及从基因组学到生态生理学的植物研究等主题，组织主要针对教师和当地农民的讲习班。

Copper is an essential cofactor for plant growth due to its essential role in photosynthesis. When copper uptake is not sufficient, plants use a combination of three strategies to adjust: Plants modify their physiology to reduce their need for copper, they attempt to increase copper uptake, and they prioritize delivery of copper to the most essential proteins, especially those that function in photosynthesis. The team has already discovered key copper-transporter molecules and has found that a class of small RNA molecules called microRNAs function in the regulation of the use of copper. In this project the investigators aim to characterize how the components that were identified work together in order to adjust to impending copper deficiency. For this project a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches will be used in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The project will likely reveal important novel mechanisms by which organisms adjust to micro-nutrient deficiency. Copper deficiency affects crop yield and biomass production, which has an impact on the possibility to make biofuels. Deficiency also affects the nutritional value of edible plant parts. Therefore the project has relevance to the well being of humans. The project will train graduate students as well as undergraduates and post-doctoral researchers and will involve national and international collaborations. Many of the discoveries in biochemistry that have led to improvements in human health and well being have arisen from research in the area of plant science. In order to raise awareness of the importance of basic plant science, the research team will organize workshops aimed primarily at teachers and local farmers around the themes of nutrition and plants, photosynthesis and biofuels and plant research from genomics to ecophysiology.