Exploring an apparent paradox in metal stress - what are the AtATR-related long term consequences of Al toxicity?

铝（Al）毒性是一个全球性的农业问题，其严重限制了酸性土壤地区的根系生长和作物生产力，酸性土壤占世界可耕地的50%以上。 在了解植物如何科普铝在其环境中取得了重大进展，但我们的知识铝毒性如何导致根生长抑制是缺乏的。 使用的植物模型系统拟南芥的遗传方法，它已被确定，铝依赖的根生长抑制在很大程度上是一个积极的过程中发生的DNA损伤的检测响应。 检测这种损伤所需的因子的突变损失实际上导致根生长增加，这表明Al在体内起着DNA损伤的温和剂的作用。 进一步的工作旨在确定铝依赖的DNA损伤的性质，这被推测为导致可遗传的变化，因为铝能够在体内引起DNA交联。 所使用的技术包括监测DNA完整性在几代以下暴露于铝沿着的鉴定和分析的额外的生化成分，所需的检测和响应铝毒性。 通过这些分析，将有可能获得更好的了解铝如何导致根生长抑制，而在同一时间确定在体内的影响铝对DNA的完整性，其中后者一直在激烈的辩论方面对植物和动物的影响。通过这项工作，PI将能够继续致力于促进当地学区的创造力，沿着在实验室环境中为来自代表性不足群体的学生提供密集的指导机会。

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a global agricultural problem that severely limits root growth and crop productivity in regions with acidic soils, which represent upwards of 50% of the world's arable land. Significant progress has been made toward understanding how plants cope with Al in their environment, yet our knowledge of how Al toxicity leads to root growth inhibition is lacking. Using a genetic approach with the plant model system Arabidopsis, it has been determined that Al-dependent root growth inhibition is largely an active process that occurs in response to detection of DNA damage. Mutational loss of factors required for detection of this damage actually leads to increased root growth, which suggests that Al functions as a mild agent of DNA damage in vivo. Further work is aimed at determining the nature of the Al-dependent DNA damage, which is speculated to lead to heritable changes since Al is capable of causing DNA crosslinks in vivo. Techniques to be used include monitoring DNA integrity over several generations following exposure to Al along with identification and analysis of additional biochemical components that are required for detection and response to Al toxicity. Through these analyses, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of how Al causes root growth inhibition while at the same time determine the in vivo effect of Al on DNA integrity, the latter of which has been intensively debated with regard to impacts on both plants and animals. Through this work, the PI will be able to continue an ongoing commitment to promotion of creativity in the local school district along with providing intensive mentoring opportunities in a laboratory environment to students from underrepresented groups.