Regulatory Elements Controlling Phloem-Mediated Virus Transport

对于维管植物，韧皮部网络负责运输营养物质和信号组分，包括小分子、大分子和核酸。 这些组分的运动对于植物的代谢、发育和病原体防御是必不可少的。 植物病毒劫持韧皮部网络以促进其自身的系统运动，并且因为这代表了研究控制韧皮部内移动的组分的运输的分子机制的独特系统。 这个项目的目标集中在理解病毒如何重新编程韧皮部特定组织来介导它们自己的运动。 使用烟草花叶病毒（TMV）-拟南芥模型系统，在这项研究中的努力将利用TMV？通过与韧皮部特异性IAA转录因子的相互作用来重编程细胞转录的能力。 IAA因子是植物生长素反应系统的组成部分，在植物发育、代谢和防御的许多方面起着重要作用。 在这个项目中的具体工作将集中在检查病毒相互作用的IAA蛋白的本地化;调查IAA蛋白如何影响病毒的能力，在特定的韧皮部细胞类型内移动;并确定病毒相互作用的IAA蛋白的转录靶点和它们在病毒介导的韧皮部运输的潜在作用。 这项研究的综合结果将显着推进我们对病毒通过韧皮部运动的理解，并为植物用于将分子运输到远端组织的机制提供新的见解。 该项目的更广泛的目标涉及病毒学和植物生物学学科的教育整合，以培训博士后，研究生，本科生和高中生，重点是鼓励本科生和高中生考虑在这些重要领域进行高级培训。

For vascular plants the phloem network is responsible for the transport of nutrients and signaling components, including small molecules, macromolecules and nucleic acids. The movement of these components is essential to plant metabolism, development and pathogen defense. Plant viruses hijack the phloem network to promote their own systemic movement and because of this represent a unique system in which to investigate the molecular mechanisms that control the trafficking of mobile components within the phloem. The goals of this project focus on understanding how viruses reprogram phloem specific tissues to mediate their own movement. Using a Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) - Arabidopsis model system, efforts in this study will exploit TMV?s ability to reprogram cellular transcription through an interaction with phloem specific IAA transcription factors. IAA factors are components of the plant's auxin response system and play an essential role in many aspects of plant development, metabolism and defense. Specific efforts in this project will focus on examining the localization of virus interacting IAA proteins; investigating how IAA proteins affect the virus's ability to move within specific phloem cell types; and identifying the transcriptional targets of virus interacting IAA proteins and their potential role in virus mediated phloem transport. Combined results from this study will significantly advance our understanding of virus movement via the phloem and shed new light on the mechanisms that plants use to transport molecules to distal tissues. The broader goals of this project involve the educational integration of virology and plant biology disciplines for the training of post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate and high school students with an emphasis placed on encouraging undergraduate and high school level students to consider advanced training in these important areas.