Involvement of Geminivirus AL2 Protein in Regulating Host Defense Responses

双生病毒是严重威胁全球农作物的植物病原体。获得关于双生病毒与植物之间相互作用的新信息将促进我们对植物正常生理过程以及病毒如何利用宿主诱导感染的理解。研究人员将鉴定和表征双生病毒致病机制中涉及的宿主基因。番茄金色花叶病毒和卷心菜曲叶病毒产生一种蛋白质AL 2，它与宿主蛋白质PPD 2相互作用。因此，该提案的首要目标是表征AL2和PPD 2之间的相互作用，并定义其在抑制宿主防御中的作用，这是目前未知的。该项目将使用分子、生物化学、基因组和遗传学方法来实现这一目标。我们期望表征AL2：：PPD 2复合物在激活宿主防御中的作用，并鉴定由该复合物激活的宿主基因。这项研究的更广泛的影响包括提供信息，导致识别参与宿主防御的基因网络。预计这将为新的抗性战略提供基础，该战略基于破坏对病毒发病机制至关重要的相互作用，这可能转化为开发对双生病毒病具有抗性的作物。这将给当地农民带来直接的经济利益，对于减少有害农药的使用和增加维持不断增长的人口所需的粮食产量至关重要。该项目将为本科生和研究生以及博士后科学家提供培训机会，以获得与植物分子病毒学相关的当前主题的知识。UTSA的人口统计数据表明，其中一个或多个将是历史上代表性不足的群体的成员。与墨西哥和中美洲科学家合作的机会可能会出现，双生病毒疾病对当地经济造成破坏，并有助于促进教师和学生的交流机会。

Geminiviruses are plant pathogens that seriously threaten agricultural crops worldwide. Obtaining new information about interactions between geminiviruses and plants will advance our understanding of normal physiological processes in plants, and how viruses exploit the host to induce infection. The investigators will identify and characterize host genes involved in geminivirus pathogenesis. Tomato golden mosaic and Cabbage leaf curl viruses produce a protein, AL2, which interacts with a host protein, PPD2. The overriding goal of this proposal is to therefore characterize the interaction between AL2 and PPD2 and define its role in suppressing host defenses, which is currently unknown. This project will use molecular, biochemical, genomic and genetic approaches to achieve this objective. We expect to characterize the role of the AL2::PPD2 complex in activating host defenses, and to identify host genes activated by this complex. The broader impacts of this research include providing information leading to the identification of networks of genes involved in host defense. This is expected to provide a basis for new resistance strategies, based on disrupting interactions critical for viral pathogenesis, which could translate into developing crops resistant to geminivirus disease. This would have a direct economic benefit to the local farmer, and will be important for decreasing the use of harmful pesticides and increasing the food production needed to sustain a growing human population. This project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and a post-doctoral scientist, to gain knowledge in current topics related to plant molecular virology. UTSA demographics suggest one or more of these will be members of historically underrepresented groups. Opportunities for collaborations with scientists in Mexico and Central America may arise, where geminivirus diseases are devastating to local economies, and help facilitate exchange opportunities for both faculty and students.