Dissecting molecular mechanisms of plant cytokinesis and cell plate development

这个跨学科的项目将增加对植物细胞如何分裂的理解。在植物细胞分裂过程中，一种新结构的形成，即进化成新细胞壁的细胞板，将新的子细胞分开。在细胞分裂过程中，新细胞壁的形成对地球上所有的植物生命都具有深远的意义，但关于这一过程的基本问题仍未得到解答。该项目通过定量图像分析、计算建模、生物化学和遗传学，结合细胞分裂关键参与者的化学抑制，重点剖析细胞板形成的高度动态过程。这项工作应该被证明具有变革性，适用于各种各样的植物物种，从而有助于基础研究和开发更理想的细胞壁特性，以实现健壮和多产的作物。总的来说，这项工作可以成为提高作物质量和产量、增加粮食安全和实现能源独立的新战略的基础。制作的细胞板形成模型和动画将广泛提供免费教育用途。该项目将为高中、本科、研究生和研究生阶段的初级科学家提供广泛的现代细胞生物学前沿研究方法的研究培训。研究生和博士后将通过这个项目的框架来培养指导高中和本科生的指导和教学技能。该项目的总体目标是确定和定量分析细胞分裂过程中指导细胞板形成过程中多糖运输的新分子机制和途径，这是地球上所有植物生命的基本过程。植物的细胞质分裂与动物和真菌的细胞质分裂有着根本的不同。在植物中，细胞板的新生形成是通过囊泡的同型融合发生的，然后囊泡发育成新的细胞壁，分裂分裂细胞的细胞质。细胞板的形成有多个阶段，包括高度有序的囊泡积累、融合和膜成熟，同时伴随着胼胝质、纤维素和交联聚糖等多糖的时间特异性沉积。该项目将在细胞分裂过程中使用定量荧光成像来开发细胞板形成的时空模型。此外，使用生化和遗传方法结合化学生物学将有助于表征在细胞分裂过程中构建新细胞壁的多糖成分，并识别参与细胞板发育的新分子。这些研究将产生控制细胞板组装机制的基础知识，并可以形成细胞壁构建的参考框架。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This interdisciplinary project will increase the understanding of how plant cells divide. During plant cell division the formation of a novel structure, the cell plate which evolves into the new cell wall, separates the new daughter cells. The development of new cell walls during cell division is of profound importance to all plant life on earth, yet fundamental questions about this process remain unanswered. This project focuses on dissecting the highly dynamic process of cell plate formation by employing quantitative image analysis, computational modeling, biochemistry and genetics coupled with chemical inhibition of key players in cell division. The work should prove transformative, be applicable to a broad variety of plant species and hence contribute to both fundamental research and the development of more desirable cell wall properties for robust and productive crops. Overall, the work could form the basis for new strategies towards improving crop quality and yield, towards increasing food security and towards energy independence. The produced models and animations of cell plate formation will be made widely available for free educational use. The project will provide research training across a broad range of cutting-edge research methodologies in modern cell biology for junior scientists at the high school, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level. Graduate students and postdocs will develop mentoring and teaching skills supervising high school and undergraduate students through the framework of this project. The overarching goal of this project is to identify and quantitatively analyze new molecular mechanisms and pathways directing polysaccharide cargo during cell plate formation in cytokinesis, a process fundamental to all plant life on earth. Cytokinesis in plants is fundamentally different from that in animals and fungi. In plants de novo formation of a cell plate occurs via homotypic fusion of vesicles, which then develops into the new cell wall, partitioning the cytoplasm of the dividing cell. Cell plate formation takes place in multiple stages that involve highly orchestrated vesicle accumulation, fusion and membrane maturation concurrent with the time specific deposition of polysaccharides such as callose, cellulose and cross-linking glycans. The project will use quantitative fluorescence imaging during cytokinesis to develop a spatiotemporal model of cell plate formation. Further, the use of biochemical, and genetic approaches combined with chemical biology will help in characterizing the polysaccharide components building the new cell wall during cytokinesis and identify novel molecular players involved in cell plate development. These studies will generate fundamental knowledge of mechanisms that control cell plate assembly and can form a reference framework for cell wall build up.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.