Investigating phloem structure function relations in vivo

高等植物韧皮部是一个长距离转运系统，将光合作用产生的同化物分配到果实和地下器官等组织中。人类消耗的大部分营养物质都是通过韧皮部转运的。此外，韧皮部还充当远距离信号系统。它可以被粗略地比作人体循环系统和神经系统的结合。由于它含有高浓度的糖和其他营养物质，它是蚜虫、粉蚧和叶蝉等害虫的主要目标。此外，植物病毒利用韧皮部在整个植物中传播。这造成了巨大的经济损失，并导致使用大量的保护性化学品。尽管韧皮部在植物病虫害相互作用中起着核心作用，但目前对其潜在过程的了解还很差。本项目利用最新开发的分子和细胞生物学工具，旨在阐明韧皮部运输、信号传导和植物与害虫相互作用的细胞和亚细胞过程。一个长期成果将是为保护植物免受虫害侵害的新战略提供科学依据。这些新策略有可能大幅减少现代农业目前所需的杀虫剂数量。此外，更广泛的影响包括通过教学和教科书信息进行韧皮部运输机制和韧皮部昆虫相互作用的教育，以及通过培养本科生和研究生。

The phloem of higher plants is a long distance translocation system that distributes assimilates generated by photosynthesis to tissues such as fruits and underground organs. The majority of the nutrients consumed by humans have been translocated through the phloem. In addition, the phloem serves as a long distance signaling system. It can roughly be compared to a combination of the human circulatory and nervous system. Due to its high concentration of sugars and other nutrients, it represents the primary target for pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and leafhoppers. Furthermore, plant viruses use the phloem to spread throughout the plant. This causes substantial economic damage and leads to the use of high amounts of protective chemicals. Despite the central role the phloem plays in plant pest interactions, the current knowledge of the underlying processes is poor. By employing newly-developed molecular and cell biological tools, this project aims to elucidate cellular and subcellular processes in phloem transport, signaling, and plant-pest interactions. One long-term outcome will be the provision of a scientific basis for new strategies to protect plants from pest infestation. These new strategies carry the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of insecticides currently required in modern agriculture. In addition, broader impacts include education through teaching and textbook information on the mechanism of phloem transport and phloem insect interactions and through training of undergraduate and graduate students.