RUI: Proteasomal Removal of Selenoproteins in Plants

动物（包括人类）需要硒来制造氨基酸硒半胱氨酸，这种氨基酸用于合成必需的硒蛋白。相比之下，植物不需要硒，也不制造特定的硒蛋白。尽管如此，植物可以积累硒，并在提供人类摄入的大部分膳食硒方面发挥重要作用。然而，当硒半胱氨酸与蛋白质结合时，过量的硒会导致植物中毒。植物中的硒蛋白可能是错误折叠的，因此被泛素-蛋白酶体途径去除。该项目的目的是了解蛋白酶体和谷胱甘肽在植物中去除硒蛋白和减轻其毒性中的作用。更广泛的影响。该项目将直接允许在卡罗莱纳海岸大学培训10名本科生，包括残疾学生。该项目还将促进以实验室为基础的“植物适应压力”课程的发展，该课程将把研究与教学结合起来。

Animals (including humans) require selenium to make the amino acid selenocysteine, which is used in the synthesis of essential selenoproteins. In contrast, plants do not require selenium or make specific selenoproteins. Nonetheless, plants can accumulate selenium and play a vital role in providing most of the dietary selenium consumed by humans. However, an excess of selenium leads to toxicity in plants when selenocysteine is incorporated into proteins. Selenoproteins in plants are likely misfolded, and are therefore removed by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. The goal of this project is to understand the role of the proteasome and glutathione in removing selenoproteins and alleviating their toxicity in plants. Broader Impacts. The project will directly allow the training of ten undergraduate students, including students with disabilities, at Coastal Carolina University. This project will also facilitate the development of an upper-level laboratory-based class "Plant Adaptations to Stress" which will integrate this research with teaching.