Post-transcriptional control of gene expression and its role in plant responses to developmental and environmental cues

植物的基因表达受其一生中所接受的环境和发育信号的调控。基因表达的调控通常发生在基因转录成RNA后，这一过程被称为转录后控制。这一过程可以调节细胞内RNA代谢的各个方面，包括RNA的稳定性、特异性定位和转化为蛋白质。rna结合蛋白是基因表达转录后调控的关键介质。它们可以直接调节它们的目标RNA，或者它们可以招募其他蛋白质来协助RNA调节。我的研究计划的长期目标是更好地了解rna结合蛋白在植物细胞转录后控制中的作用，以及这种形式的基因调控如何调节植物发育和植物对环境信号的反应。我的研究计划的短期目标，如本提案所述，旨在了解模式植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）中三种rna结合蛋白的分子，生化和细胞功能。其中两种蛋白属于rna结合蛋白PUF家族。另一种是具有RNA结合活性的代谢酶。由于每种蛋白质在调节rna代谢中似乎都有不同的作用，了解它们的工作原理将为了解植物细胞中rna结合蛋白的功能机制提供有价值的见解。***这项研究将加深我们对转录后基因调控在植物发育（如根系发育）和对环境信号（如光、低氧等）的响应中的作用的理解。这可能有助于通过选择或转基因表达转录后调控基因来提高作物性能，这些基因编码本研究中鉴定的mrna。本研究还可能确定一种方法来设计先进的PUF蛋白骨架，以便它可以用于靶向和操纵感兴趣的特定细胞rna

Plant gene expression is regulated by environmental and developmental signals that plants receive throughout their lifetime. The regulation of gene expression often occurs after genes are transcribed into RNA, in a process called post-transcriptional control. This process can regulate various aspects of RNA metabolism in the cell, including the stability of RNAs, their specific localization, and their translation into protein. RNA-binding proteins are critical mediators of post-transcriptional control of gene expression. They can directly regulate their target RNAs, or they can recruit other proteins that assist in RNA regulation. The long-term goal of my research program is to better understand the role of RNA-binding proteins in post-transcriptional control in plant cells, and how this form of gene regulation modulates plant development and plant responses to environmental signals. The short-term objectives of my research program, as outlined in this proposal, are aimed at understanding the molecular, biochemical and cellular functions of three RNA-binding proteins in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Two of these proteins belong to the PUF family of RNA-binding proteins. The other is a metabolic enzyme that possesses RNA binding activity. Because each of these proteins appear to have distinct roles in regulating the metabolism of RNAs, understanding how they work will provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of RNA-binding protein function in plant cells. ***This research will enhance our understanding of the roles of post-transcriptional gene regulation in plant development (i.e., root development) and in response to environmental cues (i.e., light, low oxygen, etc.). This could contribute to strategies aimed at enhancing crop plant performance by the selection or transgenic expression of post-transcriptionally regulated genes that encode mRNAs that are identified in this study. This research may also identify a method to engineer an advanced PUF protein backbone so that it can be used to target and manipulate specific cellular RNAs of interest.**