ROS as Mediators of Rapid Long-Distance Self-Propagating Signals

植物是维持地球上生命的主要太阳能转换器。为了优化它们的二氧化碳消耗和生物能源生产，植物必须迅速适应环境的变化，以及应对各种各样的生物挑战。作为无根生物，植物进化出复杂的机制来应对环境中的生物和非生物挑战。这些可以在最初与威胁相互作用的局部组织中激活，也可以在尚未受到挑战的全身组织中激活。在全身性非激害组织中，防御或驯化机制的激活通常被称为全身性获得性抗性或全身性获得性驯化，并在逆境中防止整个植物进一步感染或损伤中起重要作用。然而，植物响应不同环境胁迫的快速系统信号传导的基本机制在很大程度上是未知的。该项目的长期目标是确定植物快速系统信号的调节机制和模式。解剖植物的快速系统信号通路将确定关键的调节因子，这些调节因子将被用于提高不同作物和植物对全球气候变化的耐受性，这可能会防止美国每年300 - 400亿美元的产量损失。该项目将涉及K-12的教育推广和研究生和本科生的多学科培训。本科生将接受信号转导、遗传学和生物信息学分析等方面的培训。夏季外展研讨会将向高中生讲授分子生物学、信号转导、环境和现代农业。这个以实验室为基础的实习项目将提供建立自信的经验，并让学生接触实验室和科学家。本科和K-12的拓展和培训活动都将针对科学领域的弱势群体和代表性不足的群体。

Plants are the principle solar energy converter sustaining life on Earth. To optimize their carbon dioxide consumption and bio-energy production, plants must rapidly acclimate to changes in their environment, as well as respond to a diverse array of biological challenges. Being sessile organisms, plants evolved sophisticated mechanisms to cope with biotic and abiotic challenges in their environment. These can be activated in local tissues that initially interact with the threat, as well as in systemic tissues that were not yet challenged. The activation of defense or acclimation mechanisms in systemic non-challenged tissues is often termed systemic acquired resistance, or systemic acquired acclimation, and serves an important role in preventing further infection or damage to the entire plant during stress. Fundamental mechanisms underlying rapid systemic signaling in response to different environmental stresses in plants are however largely unknown. The long-term goal of this project is to determine the mechanism and mode of regulation of rapid systemic signaling in plants. Dissecting the rapid systemic signaling pathway of plants will identify key regulators that will be used to enhance the tolerance of different crops and plants to global climatic changes, potentially preventing yield losses estimated at 30-40 billions of dollars annually in the US. This project will involve educational outreach for K-12 and multidisciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate trainees. Undergraduate students will be trained in different aspects of signal transduction, genetics and bioinformatics analysis. A summer outreach workshop will teach high school students about molecular biology, signal transduction, the environment, and modern agriculture. This laboratory-based internship program will provide self-confidence building experiences and expose the students to laboratories and scientists. Both undergraduate and K-12 outreach and training activities will target the under privileged and underrepresented in science.