Molecular and physiological characterization of members of the aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) family with respect to their contribution to mineral nutrition in rice.

铝激活的苹果酸转运蛋白(ALMT)被证明是苹果酸跨膜转运蛋白。特定的ALMT家族成员在铝耐受性和气孔功能中的作用已被阐明，但ALMT家族其余成员的作用仍不清楚。该项目的目的是确定和描述对大米矿物质营养有影响的ALMT家族成员的特征。这种影响可能通过矿物质负离子的运输等直接过程发生，也可能通过涉及苹果酸等有机阴离子的运输的间接过程发生。为了弄清ALMT家族成员对水稻矿质营养的贡献的性质，该项目分为三个主要部分：(1)在宿主实验室产生的现有转基因水稻系的矿质营养表型鉴定；(2)根据矿质营养表型从群体中心鉴定合适的水稻突变系；(3)通过产生启动子：GFP转基因水稻品系和瞬时蛋白：GFP融合进行ALMT定位研究。总而言之，这个项目的概念是在现有种质的基础上描述几个OsALMT对矿物质营养的贡献的混合体，并为今后确定OsALMT家族其他成员的特征奠定基础。

Aluminium-activated malate transporter (ALMT) proteins have been shown to act as malate translocators across membranes. The role of specific ALMT family members in Aluminium (Al) tolerance and stomata function has been clarified, but the role of the remaining members of the ALMT family remains unknown. The aim of the project is to identify and characterize those members of the ALMT family having an impact on the mineral nutrition of rice. Such an impact might occur either through direct processes such as transport of mineral anions or by indirect processes that involve the transport of organic anions such as malate. To clarify the nature of the contribution of ALMT family members to rice mineral nutrition the project is divided into three main parts: (1) characterization of the mineral nutrition phenotype of existing transgenic rice lines generated in the host laboratory, (2) characterization of appropriate rice mutant lines from stock centers with respect to a mineral nutrition phenotype, and (3) ALMT localization studies through generation of promoter:GFP transgenic rice lines and transient protein:GFP fusions. In sum, this project concept represents a mix of characterizing several OsALMTs with respect to their contribution to mineral nutrition on the basis of existing germplasm and laying a basis for future work on the characterization of further OsALMT family members.