Multi-sample homogenizer for rapid nucleic acid and metabolite extraction from woody plants

本申请是为植物和森林生物学研究的多样品匀浆器申请资金。该基金支持的研究旨在了解森林树木对其环境的适应性，围绕防御害虫以及植物氮吸收。研究的一个重点是了解杨树和其他树木如何保护自己免受草食动物的侵害，以及蛋白质和酚类次生代谢产物在这一过程中的作用。植物对昆虫攻击或伤害的反应是基因表达的快速变化，导致各种有毒和抗营养蛋白质和毒素的积累。我们一直在研究这种诱导的草食动物防御反应，使用杂交杨树和颤抖的白杨，已经确定了一套超过100个快速诱导的基因，并测试了其中一些在体外和转基因植物。我们还对白杨中诱导的次生代谢产物感兴趣，特别是缩合单宁和黄酮类化合物，具有抗菌，自然界中的抗草食动物活性的植物化学品，以及潜在的人类健康促进作用。申请资金支持的另一个研究领域是探索适应和驯化森林土壤中氮形态和缺乏的生理机制。 在温带和北方森林土壤中，低氮可用性往往限制树木生长。 在根细胞和全根水平的研究，使我们能够检查灌木和针叶树种或家庭之间的遗传差异，偏好的氮形态，有和没有菌根协会的吸收率，根区温度和pH值的影响。

This application is to request funds for multi-sample homogenizer for plant and forest biology research. The research to be supported by this funding aims to understand forest tree adaptations to their environment, revolving around defense against pests as well as plant nitrogen uptake. One axis of the research to be supported aims to understand how Populus and other trees defend themselves against herbivory, and the roles of proteins and phenolic secondary metabolites in this process. Plants respond to insect attacks or wounding with rapid changes in gene expression, leading to the accumulation of diverse toxic and antinutritive proteins and toxins. We have been investigating this induced herbivore defense response using both hybrid poplar and trembling aspen, have identified a suite of over 100 rapidly induced genes, and tested some of these in vitro and in transgenic plants. We are also interested in induced secondary metabolites in poplar, specifically condensed tannins and flavonoids, plant chemicals with antimicrobial, antiherbivore activity in nature, and potential health-promoting in humans. Another research area to be supported by the requested funding is the exploration of physiological mechanisms of adaptation and acclimation to nitrogen forms and deficiency in forest soils. In temperate and boreal forests soils, low nitrogen availability often limits tree growth. Studies at the root cell and whole-root levels allow us to examine genetic differences among shrub and conifer species or families, for preference of nitrogen form, uptake rates with and without mycorrhizal association, and effects of root zone temperature and pH.