EAGER: Plant Mitochondrial Transformation

智力优势：植物线粒体基因组与动物和真菌有着惊人的不同。它们还参与了植物生长、开花和结种等多种重要的过程。植物生理学和遗传学研究中的一个重大技术差距是无法转化植物线粒体。虽然还没有在实验室中完成，但不同植物物种线粒体之间的水平基因转移证明了外源DNA可以被纳入线粒体基因组。对重组机制的新认识提出了两种解决问题的新方法：利用大的同源区域进行靶向，或转化重组同源性监视中的突变缺陷。这项研究将使目前不可能的植物生物学和生物技术的新方法成为可能。实现转型的三个重要阶段将会完成。其中包括对农杆菌进行工程改造，使其靶向引入线粒体的DNA，利用大的同源区域进行重组靶向，以及选择可选择的标记。该项目将使用多种方法来解决可选择标记问题，包括内源性和外源性基因。更广泛的影响：该项目将对植物线粒体生物学的研究基础设施产生巨大影响。这将极大地为基础生物学和农业上重要的植物开辟新的实验方向和新的进展。该项目将在夏季进行本科生研究培训，重点是扩大参与范围。该机构的一项高中学生和教师培训工作将被纳入该项目，该机构还赞助了一项本科生暑期实习计划，该计划将被纳入该项目。

Intellectual merit: Plant mitochondrial genomes are surprisingly different from those of animals and fungi. They are also involved in such diverse and important processes as plant growth, flowering and seed set. A significant technological gap in the study of plant physiology and genetics is the inability to transform plant mitochondria. Although it has not been accomplished in the laboratory, horizontal gene transfer between mitochondria of different plant species is evidence that foreign DNA can be incorporated into the mitochondrial genome. A new understanding of recombination mechanisms suggests two novel approaches to the problem: using large homologous regions for targeting, or transforming a mutant defective in recombination homology surveillance. This research will enable new approaches to plant biology and biotechnology that are currently impossible. Three important phases of achieving transformation will be done. These are to engineer the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens to target introduced DNA to mitochondria, to use large regions of homology for recombination targeting, and the choice of selectable markers. This project will use multiple approaches to the selectable marker problem, including both endogenous and exogenous genes.Broader impacts: This project will have a tremendous impact on the research infrastructure for plant mitochondrial biology. This will dramatically open up the field to new experimental directions and new advances, both for basic biology and in agriculturally important plants. The project will involve an undergraduate research training experience in the summer, and there will be an emphasis on broadening participation. A high school student and teacher training effort at the institution will be incorporated, and the institution also sponsors an undergraduate summer internship program that will be integrated into the project.