Characterization of a LATD-dependent ABA signaling pathway in Medicago truncatula roots.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。植物激素脱落酸（阿坝）对于协调植物对干旱，盐碱和寒冷等环境胁迫的反应至关重要。为了应对干燥的土壤条件，阿坝通过植物迅速动员，引发叶片的生理变化，减少水分流失，刺激根系向土壤深处生长。虽然阿坝作为一个快速的根到芽的警告系统的重要性已经知道了很多年，阿坝从脉管系统中退出后的事件在很大程度上是未知的。缺乏功能性LATD蛋白的蒺藜苜蓿植物不能维持植物根尖的生长区域，除非向生长培养基中添加额外的阿坝。此外，阿坝通过这些植物的运动被改变，这表明LATD蛋白可能参与阿坝进出植物细胞的运输。该项目建议更密切地研究阿坝运输。 作为该项目的一部分，将确定LATD蛋白在植物细胞中的位置。此外，该项目提出了确定在植物阿坝反应中LATD蛋白之前或之后起作用的调节蛋白。最后，将阐明模式植物拟南芥中LATD样蛋白的功能。总之，这些实验将增加我们对植物如何使用阿坝来调节植物发育过程的理解，例如根的生长和固氮根瘤的形成。该项目将为本科生和研究生提供科学培训。此外，该项目还包含一个外联部分，涉及为佛蒙特州的中学设计基于探究的科学项目。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The plant hormone Abscisic Acid (ABA) is essential for coordinating the response of plants to environmental stresses, such as drought, salinity and cold. In response to drying soil conditions, ABA is rapidly mobilized through the plant, triggering physiological changes in the leaves that will reduce water loss and stimulating roots to grow deeper into the soil. Although the importance of ABA as a rapid root-to-shoot warning system has been known for years the events that follow the exit of ABA from the vasculature are largely unknown. Medicago truncatula plants that lack a functional LATD protein are unable to maintain growing regions at the tips of plant roots unless extra ABA is added to the growth medium. In addition, movement of ABA through these plants is altered suggesting that the LATD protein might be involved in transporting ABA into or out of plant cells. This project proposes to examine ABA transport more closely. As a part of this project, the location of the LATD protein in plant cells will be determined. In addition, this project proposes to identify regulatory proteins that function before or after the LATD protein in the plant ABA response. Finally, the function of LATD-like proteins in the model plant, Arabidopsis, will be elucidated. Together, these experiments will increase our understanding of how plants use ABA to modulate plant developmental processes, such as root growth and the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project will provide scientific training for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, this project also contains an outreach component that involves the design of inquiry-based science projects for middle schools in Vermont.