CAREER: Deciphering sorghum resistance mechanisms to phloem-feeding aphids

全球每年约有20%的作物损失是由虫害造成的，这引起了人们对粮食供应减少的重大经济担忧，预计到2050年，全球人口将超过90亿。高粱是世界上最重要的单子叶作物之一，种植用于食物、饲料和燃料，由于包括蚜虫在内的以韧皮部为食的昆虫的攻击，高粱遭受严重的产量损失。然而，人们对高粱对这些昆虫的抗性或易感性的遗传变异程度知之甚少。该项目的目标是阐明以前未知的高粱对蚜虫的抗性机制，以帮助设计新的害虫控制目标，减少对昂贵和有害杀虫剂的依赖。从这个项目中获得的知识确定了关键基因，信号网络，途径和/或调节机制，这些基因，信号网络，途径和/或调节机制是高粱抗韧皮部害虫的基础。该项目的更广泛的影响包括一个创新和全面的推广/教育计划，以了解植物对昆虫的抵抗力，让初中和中学教师以及中学生和本科生参与其中，特别是那些来自服务不足和代表性不足的群体的学生，因为他们探索涉及植物抗虫害概念的现实世界情况的解决方案。此外，该项目还将为本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员提供植物生物学、基因组学和昆虫学领域的多学科培训。单子叶作物抗蚜虫的防御信号网络在很大程度上仍然未知，特别是高粱。该项目通过利用基因组资源深入了解有助于高粱抗蚜虫的潜在遗传网络和表型性状，填补了当前研究的一个重要空白。一组高粱自交系的自然变异被用来阐明高粱抗甘蔗蚜虫的新来源。结合分子、生物化学和电生理学方法，可以更好地了解高粱抗蚜虫的遗传基础。提出了四项目标：1）高粱抗蚜虫的SCA取食行为和早期生理防御反应的表征，2）高粱抗/感SCA的新基因和潜在转录网络的发现，3）高粱抗/感SCA的关键防御代谢物的确定，4）为中小学教师和中学生开发和提供植物昆虫相互作用和植物防御方面的推广和教育计划。该项目的结果为深入了解内源防御和防御信号网络的操纵如何有助于开发更有效和更持久的高粱抗虫害品种提供了更好的见解。虽然该项目的重点是高粱，但所获得的知识可广泛应用于其他重要的谷类作物，如玉米、小麦、水稻和大麦。该项目由生物科学理事会（BIO）的综合有机系统（IOS）部门和刺激竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Approximately 20 percent of global annual crop loss is attributable to insect infestation, creating major economic concerns about decreases in the food supply for a growing global population expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. Sorghum, one of the world's most important monocot crops grown for food, feed, and fuel, suffers severe yield losses due to attack by phloem-feeding insects, including aphids. However, little is known about the extent of genetic variation that contributes to sorghum resistance or susceptibility to these insects. The goal of this project is to elucidate previously unknown sorghum resistance mechanisms to aphids in order to help design novel targets for pest control and reduce dependence on costly and harmful insecticides. The knowledge gained from this project identifies key genes, signaling networks, pathways, and/or regulatory mechanisms that underlie sorghum resistance to phloem-feeding insect pests. The broader impacts of the project include an innovative and comprehensive outreach/education program to understand plant resistance to insects by involving middle and secondary school teachers and middle school and undergraduate students, particularly those from underserved and underrepresented groups, as they explore solutions to real-world situations involving concepts of plant resistance to insect pests. In addition, this project will provide multidisciplinary training to undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral research associates in the areas of plant biology, genomics, and entomology.The defense signaling networks underlying monocot crop resistance to aphids remain largely unknown, and this is especially true for sorghum. This project fills an important gap in current research by utilizing genomic resources to gain insight into the underlying genetic networks and phenotypic traits that contribute to sorghum resistance to aphids. Natural variation in a panel of sorghum inbred lines is used to elucidate the novel sources of sorghum resistance to sugarcane aphids. A combination of molecular, biochemical, and electrophysiological approaches enable a better understanding of the genetic basis of sorghum resistance to aphids. Four objectives are proposed: 1) characterization of SCA feeding behavior and the early physiological defense responses involved in sorghum resistance to aphids, 2) discovery of novel genes and the underlying transcriptional networks that contribute to sorghum resistance/susceptibility to SCA, 3) determination of key defense metabolites in sorghum resistance/susceptibility to SCA, and 4) development and delivery of outreach and educational programs in plant insect interactions and plant defense for middle and secondary school teachers and middle students. The results from this project provide improved insight into how endogenous defenses and manipulation of defense signaling networks contribute to the development of more efficient and durable insect pest-resistant varieties of sorghum. Although the project focuses on sorghum, the knowledge gained has broader applications to other significant cereal crops such as maize, wheat, rice and barley.This project is jointly funded by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) in the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.