Molecular Genetic Analysis of Ethylene Insensitive Loci in Arabidopsis

知识价值。植物如何感知和转导激素信号以影响形态和功能的巨大变化是生物学中的一个基本问题，也具有重要的实际应用。对乙烯气体的反应继续作为理解植物激素信号转导机制的范例。乙烯在植物的发育过程中起着至关重要的作用，例如果实的成熟，以及对各种物理和生物胁迫（如病原体攻击）的反应。为了了解这些生物过程的分子机制，将使用参考植物拟南芥，采用遗传、分子、生化、基因组和细胞生物学方法。特别是，本研究的目的是表征乙烯信号通路中关键的正调节因子EIN2的功能。EIN2是一种位于内质网的完整膜蛋白，其水平受乙烯依赖性蛋白体降解的调节。通过一个鲜为人知的过程，EIN2蛋白中有一部分叫做CEND的蛋白，它可以单独激活乙烯反应，在暴露于乙烯时被裂解并从内质网转移到细胞核。该项目旨在研究EIN2的乙烯依赖性加工机制，并确定可能介导其核易位和/或为CEND功能所必需的蛋白质。遗传方法将用于功能性评估与基本乙烯途径调节因子EIN2相互作用的蛋白质的作用。乙烯信号通路组分的鉴定和功能，以及它们与已知信号通路组分相互作用的表征和分析，将为简单碳氢化合物乙烯的生物效应多样性提供新的见解。此外，了解这些蛋白质的功能将能够改变乙烯对任何植物的有益和/或有害影响，特别是具有重要经济或社会价值的作物。更广泛的影响。这项研究的长期目标是了解乙烯气体如何在非常详细的机械水平上促进植物发育和抗逆性的无数变化。与探索植物激素信号传导过程的基本知识相关的教育活动包括对学生的培训。计划外展活动的重点是让高中生了解现代植物生物学研究。这些学生将学习新的思想、概念，并通过演示学习基因组学和计算生物学的工具和技术。此外，还概述了指导博士后学生的计划，其中包括许多学习研究人员开始成功科学生涯所需技能的机会。该计划利用各种培训工具，如道德培训、研讨会准备、撰写和审查赠款和论文，以及为学生提供指导的机会。

Intellectual merit. How plants perceive and transduce hormone signals to effect dramatic changes in form and function is a fundamental question in biology that also has important practical applications. The response to ethylene gas continues to serve as a paradigm for understanding the mechanisms of plant hormone signal transduction. Ethylene plays critical roles in development, such as in the ripening of fruits and in responses to a variety of physical and biological stresses, such as pathogen attack. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie these biological processes, genetic, molecular, biochemical, genomic and cell biological approaches will be employed using the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, the goal of this research is to characterize the functions of the key positive regulator in the ethylene signaling pathway: EIN2. EIN2 is an ER-located integral membrane protein whose levels are regulated by ethylene-dependent proteosome degradation. By a poorly understood process, a portion of the EIN2 protein called CEND, which alone can activate ethylene responses, is cleaved and translocated from the ER to the nucleus upon exposure to ethylene. The project is to investigate the mechanism of ethylene-dependent processing of the EIN2, and to identify proteins that may mediate its nuclear translocation and/or are required for CEND function. Genetic approaches will be used to functionally assess the role of proteins that interact with the essential ethylene pathway regulator EIN2. Identification and functional ethylene signaling pathway components, along with characterization of and analysis of their interactions with the known signaling pathway components will provide new insights into the diversity of biological effects of the simple hydrocarbon, ethylene. Moreover, understanding of the functions of these proteins will enable the modification of the beneficial and/or detrimental effects of ethylene in any plant, in particular, crops with important economic or social value.Broader impacts. The long-term goal of this research is to understand how ethylene gas promotes myriad changes in plant development and stress resistance at a very detailed, mechanistic level. The educational activities associated with this quest for basic knowledge about plant hormone signaling processes includes the training of students. The focus of the planned outreach activities centers on exposing high school students to modern plant biological research. These students will learn new ideas, concepts, and, through demonstrations, the tools and technologies of genomic and computational biology. In addition, a plan for mentoring of postdoctoral students is outlined, which involves numerous opportunities to learn the skills required for a researcher to initiate a successful scientific career. The program utilizes a variety of training tools such as ethics training, preparation of seminars, writing and reviewing of grants and papers, as well as opportunities for student mentoring.