Evolution of the Land Plant Cell Wall: Functional Significance of Land Plant Polymers within the Charophycean Green Algae

陆生植物细胞壁的进化陆生植物的细胞壁是一个复杂的网络，主要由多糖和蛋白质构成，密切参与形状和形态的发展，并具有维持结构完整性、细胞间通讯、信号转导、粘附和物理/化学防御等基本功能。大约4.7亿年前，陆地植物从一种被称为藻海绿藻（CGA）的淡水绿藻祖先池进化而来。该项目的总体目标是了解CGA细胞壁（CW）聚合物的功能，这对陆地植物的成功至关重要，并确定导致这一结果的进化序列。该项目将采用现代高通量糖组学方法、碳水化合物生物化学、基于显微镜的特定聚合物图谱，以及对遗传数据的检查，以确定陆地植物CW和CGA之间的共性。该项目将为陆地植物从绿藻祖先的进化、连续波聚合物的进化以及特定连续波聚合物在特定植物组织发育中的作用提供关键的见解。CGA - CW组分的结构和功能的描述将为理解和潜在地修改陆地植物细胞壁以促进生物燃料生产提供必要的关键信息。该项目还将有助于鉴定独特的化合物，并有助于我们全面了解化学化学成分在农作物、药品、食品添加剂和其他产品中的重要性。参与这项研究的学生将通过与丹麦哥本哈根大学的互动，对国际合作、团队合作的科学努力提供独特的视角。一项专门针对密歇根上半岛和纽约东北部的中学生和小学生的推广计划将吸引新一代年轻人从事生物学事业，并教育公众了解细胞壁衍生产品的日常意义。

Michael R. Gretz and David S. DomozychIOS-0848071 Evolution of the Land Plant Cell Wall: Functional Significance of Land Plant Polymers within the Charophycean Green Algae The cell wall of land plants is an intricate network, constructed primarily of polysaccharides and proteins, that is intimately involved in the development of shape and form, and in essential functions such as maintenance of structural integrity, cell-cell communication, signal transduction, adhesion and physical/chemical defense. Land plants evolved approximately 470 million years ago from an ancestral pool of freshwater green algae known as the charophycean green algae (CGA). The overall goal of the project is to understand the function of CGA cell wall (CW) polymers critical to success of land plants, and to determine the evolutionary sequence that led to this result. The project will employ modern high-throughput glycomics methods, carbohydrate biochemistry, microscopy-based mapping of specific polymers, and examination of genetic data to determine commonalities between the CW of land plants and the CGA. The project will yield critical insight into the evolution of land plants from green algal ancestors, the evolution of CW polymers, and the role of specific CW polymers in the development of specific plant tissues. Delineation of the structure and function of CGA CW components will provide pivotal information necessary for understanding, and potentially modifying, land plant cell walls to facilitate biofuel production. The project will also contribute to identification of unique compounds and our overall understanding of the importance of CW components in agricultural crops, pharmaceuticals, food additives and other products. Student participants in this research will be afforded a unique perspective on international, cooperative, team-based scientific endeavors through interactions with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. A dedicated outreach program to middle and elementary school students from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northeastern New York will attract a new generation of young people to careers in biology and educate the public as to the everyday significance of products derived from cell walls.