Using Arabidopsis to uncover interactions between phytohormone signaling pathways

描述(由申请人提供)： 应聘者：应聘者的长期职业目标是成为学术环境中的首席研究员，研究与植物激素反应有关的相互作用网络。在培训期间，她将学习生化研究方法，以补充她的研究生应用农业和博士后分子遗传学研究。 培训环境：莱斯大学凭借其优质的研究和贴心的环境，提供了理想的培训环境。Bonnie Bartel博士是该项目的导师，是拟南芥研究的领导者。此外，她是一位积极的导师，将大部分时间投入到她的研究、博士后和学生身上。 研究：该项目的长期目标是加强对连接植物激素生长素、脱落酸(ABA)和乙烯的信号网络的了解。双特异性蛋白磷酸酶IBR5是生长素、ABA和乙烯信号转导网络之间的一个新的相互作用点。几种相互关联的方法将使用IBR5来更好地了解这些植物激素之间的关系。首先，将确定与IBR5相互作用的蛋白质(目标1)；这些蛋白质可能包括IBR5磷酸酶的底物和调节剂。此外，还将分析第二位点的ibr5修饰剂(目标2)，以确定是否可以分离对生长素、ABA和乙烯的敏感性，或者它们是否以不可分割的方式相互连接。识别这些修饰物中的缺陷基因(目标3)将允许从分子上阐明这些植物激素途径之间的相互作用。这些研究将有助于理解这三条通路中哪些信号成分是共享的，哪些是不共享的，并将识别植物激素信号网络中的其他节点。除了扩展我们的基础知识外，详细了解这三种与生长反应、逆境耐受和果实成熟有关的植物激素，可能会为最终改良具有农业或药用价值的植物提供洞察力。例如，确定如何在不改变生长特性(生长素感知)或成熟(乙烯感知)的情况下提高抗逆性(ABA感知)，可能是使植物适应高胁迫地区(即低降雨量或盐碱地)的关键。 与公共健康相关：生长素、脱落酸和乙烯是三种植物激素，它们控制着生长和发育的许多方面，如生长反应、胁迫耐受性和果实成熟。了解这些植物激素之间的信号相互作用，除了有助于了解这些激素如何作用的一般知识外，还可能为最终改良具有农业和药用价值的植物提供洞察力。例如，确定如何在不改变生长特性(生长素感知)或成熟(乙烯感知)的情况下提高抗逆性(ABA感知)，可能是使作物适应高胁迫地区(即低降雨量或盐碱地)的关键。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Candidate: The candidate's long-term career goal is to become a principal investigator in an academic setting, studying the interaction networks involved in phytohormone response. During the training period, she will learn biochemical research approaches to complement her graduate applied agricultural and post- doctoral molecular genetic research. Training Environment: Rice University provides an ideal training environment because of its quality research and intimate setting. Dr. Bonnie Bartel, the mentor for this project, is a leader in Arabidopsis research. Further, she is an active mentor who devotes the majority of her time to her research and her postdocs and students. Research: The long-term goal of this project is to enhance understanding of the signaling network that connects the phytohormones auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), and ethylene. The dual-specificity protein phosphatase, IBR5, the subject of this proposal, is a novel point of interaction between auxin, ABA, and ethylene signal transduction networks. Several interconnected approaches will use IBR5 to gain greater understanding of the relationship among these phytohormones. Firstly, IBR5-interacting proteins will be identified (Aim 1); these may include substrates and regulators of the IBR5 phosphatase. Additionally, second-site ibr5 modifiers will be analyzed (Aim 2) to determine whether sensitivity to auxin, ABA, and ethylene can be separated, or if they are interconnected in inseparable ways. Identification of defective genes in these modifiers (Aim 3) will allow molecular elucidation of interactions between these phytohormone pathways. These studies will contribute to understanding of which signaling components are shared among these three pathways and which are not shared, and will identify additional nodes in the phytohormone signaling network. In addition to expanding our basic knowledge, a detailed understanding of these three phytohormones, involved in growth responses, stress tolerance, and fruit ripening, may provide insight for the eventual improvement of plants of agricultural or medicinal importance. For instance, determining how to increase stress tolerance (ABA perception) without altering growth characteristics (auxin perception) or ripening (ethylene perception) could be key to adapting plants to high stress areas (i.e., areas of low rainfall or saline soils). Public Health Relevance: Auxin, abscisic acid, and ethylene are three plant hormones controlling many aspects of growth and development, such as growth responses, stress tolerance, and fruit ripening. Understanding of the signaling interactions between theses phytohormones, in addition to contributing to the general knowledge of how these hormones act, may provide insight for the eventual improvement of agriculturally- and medicinally-important plants. For instance, determining how to increase stress tolerance (ABA perception) without altering growth characteristics (auxin perception) or ripening (ethylene perception) could be key to adapting crops to high stress areas (i.e., areas of low rainfall or saline soils).