CAREER: Dissecting the Small Peptide Signal in Regulating Vascular Stem Cell Proliferation and Xylem Differentiation

在任何生物体的发育过程中，都需要维持有潜力变成所有组织类型的细胞。在植物中，这些细胞可以产生水分和养分的传导组织。传导组织的木质部分为植物提供了体力，并形成了地球上大部分的生物质。本项目研究这些细胞如何平衡自我更新和变化的功能，以产生植物传导组织。这项研究的结果将提供重要的见解的关键生物过程中涉及的木本组织的发展。从这项研究中获得的知识也将促进生物燃料生产原料植物的遗传改良。该项目通过吸引代表性不足的学生和推广K-12教育来整合研究和教育。首席研究员将积极招募代表性不足的少数民族学生参加这项研究。这些学生将获得分子技术的实践培训，并将参与研究项目的各个方面。根据“不让一个孩子掉队”的标准，温德姆学区是一个最需要帮助的系统，少数族裔占学生总数的64%。主要研究者将为温德姆高中的科学教师和学生提供培训和研究机会。这些活动补充了大学的学术计划和“下一代康涅狄格州”的重点领域。“植物维管组织在植物生长和发育中起着至关重要的作用，自4.5亿年前进化以来，植物物种已经成功地适应了各种环境。尽管维管组织对植物的发育和生物量积累具有重要意义，但维管分生组织是三种植物分生组织中研究最少的。小肽类导管成分分化因子（TDIF）与其受体（TDR）结合并调控血管干细胞的功能，但TDIF-TDR调控木质部分化和血管构型的分子机制尚不清楚。在本项目中，发现了一种新的NAC结构域转录因子XVP（Xylem differentiation and Vascular Patterning），其调控干细胞增殖、木质部分化和血管图案形成。本研究的主要目的是：（1）利用遗传学、分子生物学和生物化学技术研究XVP在维管分生组织发育中的作用机制。(2)通过鉴定XVP的直接靶基因，阐明XVP在调节干细胞增殖中的作用。(3)利用生物化学和遗传学方法研究XVP和转录网络在木质部分化调控中的相互作用。

Cells with the potential to change into all tissue types need to be maintained during the development of any organism. In plants, these cells can generate the conducting tissues for water and nutrients. The woody part of the conducting tissue provides physical strength for plants and forms the majority of biomass on Earth. This project studies how these cells balance the functions of self-renewal and change to produce plant conducting tissues. Results from this research will provide important insights into the critical biological processes involved in woody tissue development. Knowledge gained from this research will also advance the genetic improvement of feedstock plants for biofuel production. This project integrates research and education by engaging underrepresented students and outreach to K-12 education. The Principal Investigator will actively recruit underrepresented minority students into this research. These students will gain hands-on training in molecular techniques and will be involved in all aspects of the research project. The Windham School District is a system of greatest need as measured by No Child Left Behind standards, with minorities representing 64% of the student body. The Principal Investigator will provide training and research opportunities for science teachers and students at Windham High School. These activities complement the University's Academic plan and the focus areas of "Next Generation Connecticut."Plant vascular tissues play essential roles in plant growth and development, and have allowed plant species to successfully adapt to a wide variety of environments since they evolved 450 million year ago. Despite the importance of vascular tissues to plant development and biomass accumulation, the vascular meristem is the least studied of the three plant meristems. The small peptide Tracheary element Differentiation Factor (TDIF) binds to its receptor (TDR) and regulates vascular stem cell functions, but the molecular mechanism of TDIF-TDR on regulating xylem differentiation and vascular patterning are still elusive. In this project, a novel NAC domain transcription factor XVP (Xylem differentiation and Vascular Patterning) has been found to regulate stem cell proliferation, xylem differentiation and vascular patterning. The objectives of this project are: (1) To determine the functional mechanism of XVP in vascular meristem development using genetics, molecular biology, and biochemical techniques. (2) To elucidate the function of XVP in regulating stem cell proliferation by identifying XVP direct target genes. (3) To define the interaction between XVP and the transcriptional network in regulating xylem differentiation using biochemical and genetic approaches.