EAGER: The Involvement of Blue Light in Plant Immunity

植物依靠光生存，可以用不同的传感器感知不同颜色的光。向光素是一种蓝光传感器，可以触发各种植物反应，使植物保持平衡，进行高效的光合作用。黎明时分，植物特别容易受到微生物病原体的影响，因此，植物进化出使用光传感器来提示免疫系统新一天的潜在威胁是合乎逻辑的。研究人员有令人信服的数据表明，向光素是植物免疫系统的组成部分。这些数据涉及一种来自植物病原细菌的蛋白质，病原体将其注入植物细胞以促进感染。数据表明，注射的蛋白质阻止了趋光素的功能，从而抑制了免疫反应，促进了感染。该项目将确定向光素对植物免疫的贡献程度。研究人员将确定向光素与注入的细菌蛋白相互作用的分子后果，并将确定蓝光通过对向光素的影响是否对植物免疫产生影响。研究人员将在植物受到病原体或植物免疫诱导剂处理后，确定植物细胞中趋光素的位置。该项目的实验将为学生和博士后伙伴提供广泛而全面的培训。该协会参与的教育项目将为内布拉斯加州大学的高中生和本科生提供植物病理学和植物免疫方面的研究和培训经验。该项目的发现可能导致开发出对生物胁迫具有更好耐受性的作物。光敏素是一种蓝光受体激动剂，可以触发各种植物反应，使植物保持有效的光合作用，这对植物的成功至关重要。拟南芥中有两种趋光素，即趋光蛋白1(Phot1)和趋光蛋白2(Phot2)。这些受体控制着几种反应，确保植物准备进行光合作用。研究人员有令人信服的初步数据表明，向光素也是植物免疫的组成部分。他们将确定促光剂对植物免疫系统的影响程度。该项目的具体目标是：(1)确定光1/2与紫丁香假单胞菌效应子HopK1相互作用的分子后果；(2)确定蓝光影响植物免疫的程度；(3)研究生物胁迫后向光素的动态细胞定位。

Plants are dependent on light for their survival and can perceive different colors of light with various sensors. Phototropins are blue light sensors that trigger a variety of plant responses that poise the plant for efficient photosynthesis. At daybreak plants are particularly susceptible to microbial pathogens so it would be logical for plants to evolve the use of light sensors to cue the immune system of the potential threat of a new day. The investigators have compelling data that suggest phototropins are components of the plant immune system. These data concern a protein from a plant pathogenic bacterium which the pathogen injects into plant cells to facilitate infection. The data suggest that the injected protein blocks phototropin function and thereby inhibits immune responses and promotes infection. This project will determine the extent to which phototropins contribute to plant immunity. The investigators will determine the molecular consequence of the interaction of phototropins with the injected bacterial protein and will determine whether blue light, through its influence on phototropins, has an effect on plant immunity. The investigators will determine where phototropins localize in the plant cell after plants are treated with pathogens or inducers of plant immunity. The experiments of this project will offer broad and comprehensive training for students and postdoctoral associates. The PI is involved in educational programs that will provide high school students and undergraduates research and training experiences in plant pathology and plant immunity at the University of Nebraska. The findings of this project may lead to the development of crops with improved tolerance to biotic stress.Phototropins are blue light receptor kinases that trigger a variety of plant responses that poise the plant for efficient photosynthesis which is critical for the success of the plant. In Arabidopsis there are two phototropins, phototropin 1 (Phot1) and phototropin 2 (Phot2). These receptors control several responses that ensure that plants are poised to carry-out photosynthesis. The investigators have compelling preliminary data that suggest that phototropins also act as components of plant immunity. They will determine the extent that phototropins affect the plant immune system. The specific objectives of the project are: (1) Determine the molecular consequence of the interaction of phot1/2 with the Pseudomonas syringae effector HopK1; (2) Determine the extent that blue light affects plant immunity; (3) Investigate dynamic cellular localization of phototropins after biotic stress.