Collaborative Research: Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of Immune Response to a Herbivore-Associated Peptide Elicitor

植物通过复杂的免疫系统来识别攻击者，从而免受害虫和病原体的侵害。控制咀嚼食草动物（如毛毛虫）免疫反应的分子途径尚不清楚。植物细胞质膜上的受体结合昆虫攻击的特征分子模式，将细胞内信号发送到主动防御反应中，从而对昆虫的攻击进行检测。这些受体如何进行识别和信号功能对包括作物在内的植物的病虫害抗性至关重要。本研究旨在确定受攻击植物叶片内控制植物对食草动物反应的途径和分子因子。了解这些因素将有助于有针对性地培育和/或设计针对食草动物的抗性性状。该项目还将推出一项创新的跨校园实习，以巩固本科生作为植物生物学家的身份。每年夏天，两名本科生将在华盛顿大学（University of Washington）或加州大学戴维斯分校（UC Davis）的路易斯·斯托克斯少数族裔参与联盟（Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation，简称LSAMP）实习，在导师的指导下进行研究，然后回到自己的母校读大四。每个学生参加两个植物免疫实验室，将增强对有前途的BIPOC或第一代实习生的信心和自我效能感。该项目将利用启动素受体（INR），一种新发现的模式识别受体（PRR）来检测启动素，一种在毛毛虫口腔分泌物中发现的草食相关分子模式（HAMP）。INR是一种富含亮氨酸的含有重复序列的受体样蛋白，是豆科植物菜豆亚族所特有的。该项目将使用INR基因缺失的普通豆回交系来量化INR基因对草食动物整体防御的贡献。将在多个时间点和空间尺度上量化草食动物活体攻击后的受体依赖反应。反向遗传方法将用于测试假定的草食动物特有因素的贡献。还将进行新的豆类因子的正向遗传筛选。该项目将测试inr介导的对HAMPs的反应反映了损伤相关过程的放大以及强抗草食动物防御反应的特定目标的假设。拟议的工作将跨越植物-病原体和植物-食草动物相互作用，以有助于全面了解PRRs在植物生物相互作用中的功能。INR是转移到缺乏这种特异性PRR的豆类和非豆类物种（包括大豆）的候选者。了解HAMP识别模块的免疫贡献将为PRRs的使用提供信息，从而赋予农业性状。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。

Plants are defended from pests and pathogens through a sophisticated immune system to recognize attackers. The molecular pathways which control immune responses to chewing herbivores such as caterpillars are poorly understood. Detection of insect attackers is mediated by receptors at the plant cell plasma membrane which bind characteristic molecular patterns of attack and send intracellular signals to active defense responses. How these receptors carry out recognition and signaling functions is of critical importance for disease and pest resistance including in crop plants. This proposal seeks to define pathways and molecular factors which control plant responses to herbivores within an attacked plant leaf. Understanding these factors will allow targeted breeding and/or engineering of resistance traits against herbivores. The project will also launch an innovative cross-campus internship to solidify undergraduate identity as a plant biologist. Two undergraduates each summer will participate in the alternative campus’ Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) internship at University of Washington or UC Davis in a mentored research experience, before returning to their home campus for their senior year. Participation for each student in two plant immunity labs will strengthen confidence and feeling of self-efficacy in promising BIPOC or first-gen interns.The project will leverage Inceptin Receptor (INR), a newly discovered pattern recognition receptor (PRR) which detects Inceptin, a herbivore-associated molecular pattern (HAMP) found in caterpillar oral secretions. INR is a leucine-rich repeat-containing, receptor-like protein and is specific to a subtribe of legumes, the Phaseolinae. The project will use backcrossed lines of common bean with an introgressed INR deletion to quantify the contribution of INR to overall herbivore defense. Receptor-dependent responses following live herbivore challenge will be quantified at multiple timepoints and spatial scales. Reverse genetic approaches will be used to test the contribution of putative herbivore-specific factors. A forward genetic screen for novel legume factors will also be performed. The project will test the hypothesis that INR-mediated responses to HAMPs reflect amplification of damage-associated processes as well as specific targets for strong anti-herbivore defense responses. The proposed work will span plant-pathogen and plant-herbivore interactions to contribute to a holistic view of PRRs functions in plant biotic interactions. INR is a candidate for transfer into legume and non-legume species that lack this specific PRR, including soybean. Understanding the immune contribution of a HAMP recognition module will inform the use of PRRs to confer agricultural traits.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.