Thuricin 17 and novel plant signals: Mitigating plant stress, optimizing performance

植物的绿叶是陆地生物圈几乎所有能量的来源。在田地里生长的农作物有大量的相关微生物，大多数与根有关。很有可能，自从微生物种群在陆地上定居以来，它们就与陆生植物联系在一起，而且很可能已经进化出许多复杂而微妙的关系。其中只有三个已经被详细探讨：根瘤菌固氮协会，法兰克固氮协会和菌根协会。在过去的十年里，我们已经分离并鉴定了一种由根相关细菌产生的小蛋白质（thurcin 17），它可以帮助植物应对干旱、盐和低温等压力。随着气候变化的进展，其中一些压力将变得更加普遍。麦吉尔大学（McGill University）和杜邦加拿大公司（DuPont Canada）的研究人员提议共同努力，阐明thuricin 17发挥作用的机制，并确定其作为加拿大作物生产系统投入物的有效性。我们将确定苏云金17的受体，建立植物激素和生理反应模式，并确定苏云金17的农艺效果。此外，我们将系统地寻找其他促进植物生长并产生苏云金杆菌17等植物生长促进信号的细菌，如产生苏云金杆菌17的苏云金杆菌NEB17菌株。随着化石燃料储备的耗尽，我们现在希望植物不仅能生产过去的食物、饲料和纤维，还能生产燃料。鉴于我们目前面临的粮食供应（与人口增长有关）、能源和气候变化挑战，迫切需要开发创新和技术，以提高作物生产力，同时减少作物生产的经济和能源投入。

The green leaves of plants are the source of almost all energy for the terrestrial biosphere. A crop plant growing in the field has a large population of associated microbes, most associated with the roots. In all probability populations of microbes have been associated with terrestrial plants since they colonized the land, and many sophisticated and subtle relationships are likely to have evolved. Only three of these have been explored in any detail: rhizobial nitrogen fixation associations, Frankia nitrogen fixation associations and mycorrhizal associations. Over the last decade we have isolated and characterized a small protein (thurcin 17) produced by a root associated bacterium that helps plants cope with stresses such as drought, salt and low temperature. Some of these stresses will become more common as climate change progresses. Researchers at McGill University and DuPont Canada propose to work together to elucidate the mechanisms by which thuricin 17 exerts its effects, and to determine its effectiveness as an input for Canadian crop production systems. We will determine the receptor for thuricin 17, establish the pattern of plant hormonal and physiological responses and determine the agronomic effectiveness of thuricin 17. In addition, we will conduct a systematic search for other bacteria, like the NEB17 strain of Bacillus thuringiensis that produces thuricin 17, that promote plant growth and produce plant growth promoting signals like thuricin 17. As fossil fuel reserves are depleted we are now looking to plants to produce not only the food, feed and fibre of the past, but also fuel. Given the combination of food supply (tied to population growth), energy and climate change challenges that we now face, there is an urgent requirement for the development of innovations and technologies that enhance crop productivity while reducing the economic and energy inputs into crop production.