RAPID: Pokeweed Antiviral Protein: Seasonal and Compartmental Variants and Effects of Pathogens on Variant Production

智力优势：本研究的长期目标是了解植物的抗病原体策略。核糖体失活蛋白（RIPs）与植物防御有关，存在于许多植物、真菌和细菌物种中。它们具有广泛的抗病原体特性，包括抗病毒活性。美洲商陆抗病毒蛋白（PAP），发现于美洲商陆中，是一种I型RIP，通过去纯化大核糖体RNA的sarcin/ricin环来抑制蛋白质合成。最近的证据表明，PAP还可以脱嘌呤mRNA，结合mRNA的m7G帽，并与翻译起始因子相互作用。在整个美洲商陆中，PAP以不同的异构体和不同的隔室表达。同源和/或异二聚体的形成在某些条件下促使寡聚化受到暴露于各种病原体或应激源的影响。PAP相互作用、异构体和聚合物的功能后果尚不清楚。这个RAPID研究项目将表征PAP(1)在植物生长周期的不同阶段，来自植物的不同组织/室（如叶、根、茎、浆果）的各种异构体和寡聚物形式，以及(2)对暴露于各种病原体和/或应激源的反应。这是一个时间敏感的项目，受到植物生命周期的限制，并与纽约市中央公园保护协会达成协议，在即将到来的2010年生长季节收获美洲商陆植物组织。更广泛的影响：该项目将主要由学生进行，包括为纽约市立大学约翰杰伊学院的学生提供一个在科罗拉多州立大学Jorge Vivanco博士实验室工作的暑期研究培训机会。参加暑期实习的机会将为学生提供多种生物化学、生物物理和植物生物学技术方面的优秀培训。此外，由于约翰杰伊学院主要是一所本科院校，学生主要是少数民族和女性，这种RAPID活动将增加这些未被充分代表的个人攻读研究生学位并作为独立研究者继续从事科学研究的可能性。此外，该项目将有助于为弗里德兰和比万科实验室及其学生之间的未来工作建立强有力的合作。通过合作，科学影响从当前的rip知识扩展到更深入的定量理解和植物根际生物学领域。

Intellectual Merit: The long term goal of this research is to understand plant anti-pathogen strategies. Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are linked to plant defense and are found in numerous plant, fungal, and bacterial species. They have a broad spectrum of anti-pathogen properties including antiviral activity. Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), found in American pokeweed, is a type I RIP and inhibits protein synthesis by depurinating the sarcin/ricin loop of the large ribosomal RNA. Recent evidence shows that PAP can also depurinate mRNA, bind to m7G caps of mRNA, and interact with translation initiation factors. PAP is expressed in different isoforms and in different compartments of the plant throughout the pokeweed. Formation of homo- and/or hetero-dimers under some conditions has prompted the oligomerization is influenced exposure to various pathogens or stressors. The functional consequences of PAP interactions, isomers, and polymers are not well-understood. This RAPID research project will characterize the various isoforms and oligomeric forms of PAP(1)at various stages in the plants growth cycle, from various tissues/compartments of the plant (e.g. leaves, roots, stems, berries), and(2)in response to exposure to various pathogens and/or stressors. This is a time-sensitive project restricted by the life cycle of the plant and by an agreement with the New York City Central Park Conservancy to harvest pokeweed plant tissues during the upcoming 2010 growing season. Broader Impacts: This project, which will be carried out primarily by students, includes a summer research training opportunity for students from John Jay College, CUNY to work in the laboratory of Dr. Jorge Vivanco at Colorado State University. The opportunity to participate in the summer experience will provide students with excellent training in multiple biochemical, biophysical, and plant biology techniques. Also, because John Jay College is a primarily undergraduate institution with a population that is largely minority and female, this RAPID activity will increase the likelihood that these underrepresented individuals will pursue postgraduate degrees and continue in science as independent investigators. Moreover, this project will help forge a robust collaboration for future work between the Friedland and Vivanco laboratories and their students. Through collaboration, the scientific impact extend from current knowledge of RIPs to a deeper quantitative understanding and to the plant rhizosphere biology field.