Collaborative Research: Salt-stress regulation of spatiotemporal gene expression patterns in the Arabidopsis root

智力价值：植物感知和适应环境变化的能力对它们的生存至关重要。这不仅适用于生长在自然界的植物，也适用于生长在田野中的植物。根系是感知和响应许多应激环境条件的主要场所，如高盐分，这是对农业产生负面影响的最普遍的土壤污染物。根系统对钠离子的吸收会导致营养缺乏，并抑制地上部的生长。拟南芥已经进化出几种抗逆机制，并作为理解基因调控如何使其适应盐分的模式系统。这项研究计划的目标是确定控制应激反应的空间和时间方面的调控机制。基因活性是通过启动子区域的短DNA序列来调节的，这种序列被称为顺式调节元件。这些元件就像一个密码，通过招募转录因子蛋白来决定特定基因的表达方式，最终决定基因的活性。该项目旨在通过使用新的细胞类型特定基因表达数据集和合成生物学方法来破解盐胁迫反应的顺式元件密码。将产生一个由顺式元件和转录因子组成的网络，以阐明控制反应的时空方面的复杂分子相互作用。这项工作将有助于理解植物中的基因调控网络，并为设计耐盐植物提供工具。广泛影响：了解植物如何在胁迫条件下调节基因活动，对于更好地在边际农田上生长的作物的发展是必要的。特别是，对于在特定组织和胁迫反应期间的特定时间用于开启和关闭基因的调控密码的理解，对于培育在理想和次优条件下都表现良好的植物至关重要。这项研究计划还将提供一个平台，培训学生和科学家使用基因组和合成生物学方法来解决植物生物学中的重要问题。将建立一个辅导方案，为半岛男孩和女孩俱乐部的贫困青年提供丰富的活动。计划中的项目将包括旨在向学生介绍植物生物学和生物技术基本概念的动手活动。目标将是灌输对植物在它们的生活中所扮演的角色的欣赏，不同的文化如何对植物育种历史做出贡献，以及生物技术如何改变未来农业发展的步伐。

Intellectual Merit: The ability of plants to perceive and acclimate to changes in the environment is paramount for their survival. Not only is this true for plants growing in nature, but also for plants growing in the field. The root system represents the primary site of perception and response for many stressful environmental conditions such as high salinity, the most widespread soil contaminant negatively affecting agriculture. Absorption of sodium ions by the root system causes nutrient deficiencies and inhibits the growth of the shoot. Arabidopsis thaliana has evolved several stress-resistance mechanisms and serves as a model system for understanding how the regulation of genes enables acclimation to salinity. The goal of this research program is to determine the regulatory mechanisms that control spatial and temporal aspects of the stress response. Gene activity is regulated through short DNA-sequences in the promoter region, known as cis-regulatory elements. These elements act like a code that determines how a particular gene is expressed by recruiting transcription factor proteins, which ultimately determine gene activity. This project aims to crack the cis-element code for salt stress response through the use of novel cell-type specific gene expression data sets and synthetic biology approaches. A network of cis-elements and transcription factors will be generated to elucidate the complex molecular interactions controlling spatiotemporal aspects of the response. This work will contribute to an understanding of gene regulatory networks in plants and provide tools for engineering salt-tolerant plants.Broader Impact: Understanding how plants regulate gene activity under stressful conditions is necessary for the development of crops better able to grow on marginal agricultural land. In particular, an understanding of the regulatory code used to turn genes on and off in specific tissues and at specific times during the stress response is critical to generate plants that perform well under both ideal and suboptimal conditions. This research program will also provide a platform for training students and scientists on the use of genomic and synthetic biology approaches to address important questions in plant biology. A mentoring program will be established to provide enrichment activities for underprivileged youth at the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. The planned program will involve hands on activities aimed at introducing students to basic concepts in plant biology and biotechnology. The goals will be to instill an appreciation for the role plants play in their lives, how different cultures have contributed to the history of plant breeding and finally how biotechnology is changing the pace of future agricultural development.