Probing the Metabolic and Physiological Significance of Sphingolipid Long-Chain Base Desaturation in Plants

探讨植物中鞘脂长链碱基去饱和的代谢和生理意义

• 批准号: 0843312
• 负责人: Edgar Cahoon
• 金额: $ 55.05万
• 依托单位: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-04-01 至 2013-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0843312&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Probing; Metabolic; Physiological; Significance; Sphingolipid

Scientific Merit:Sphingolipids are essential components of the outer membrane of plant cells where they contribute to the ability of plants to respond to environmental extremes. Sphingolipids also play important roles in the regulation of basic processes in plant cells, including the initiation of cell death in response to pathogens. Sphingolipids occur in plants as complex mixtures of different chemical structures. The specific contributions of different sphingolipids to the growth and physiology of plants is not well understood. This question will be addressed in this project by the generation of mutants of the model plants Arabidopsis and tomato with defined alterations in sphingolipid structures. These mutants will be characterized by advanced analytical methods to determine the impact on global sphingolipid metabolism. Studies will also be conducted with Arabidopsis and tomato mutants to examine how altered sphingolipid composition affects growth in response to environmental stresses, including drought and high soil salinity. In addition to generating fundamental new knowledge on sphingolipid metabolism and function in plants, the results will provide information that could lead to improving the performance and productivity of crop plants through breeding and biotechnology.Broader Impacts:The project will offer educational opportunities and outreach to high school and undergraduate students. The PI and co-PI will participate in the Partnership in Research and Education in Plants, a program that engages high school students in the scientific process by allowing them to devise experiments using mutants of the model plant Arabidopsis. The PI and co-PI will meet with participating students at a Saint Louis, Missouri-area high school and describe the important functions of cellular membranes as well as sphingolipids in human health and plant growth. The students will be provided with seeds for Arabidopsis mutants that they will use for experiments to test hypotheses regarding growth and environmental stress responses. The students will maintain interactions with the PI and co-PI through an online laboratory notebook. The project is also designed to provide research opportunities to undergraduates through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) program, a two-year program that allows students to conduct literature research and develop an independent research project. Through participation in UCARE, the PI will recruit and mentor an undergraduate student examining the effects of altered sphingolipid composition on growth and physiology of tomato and Arabidopsis.

科学优点：鞘脂是植物细胞外膜的重要组成部分，它们有助于植物对环境极端反应的能力。鞘脂在调节植物细胞的基本过程中也起着重要作用，包括响应病原体的细胞死亡。鞘脂在植物中作为不同化学结构的复杂混合物出现。不同的鞘脂对植物生长和生理的特定贡献尚不清楚。该问题将通过模型植物拟南芥和番茄的突变体产生具有明确的鞘脂结构改变。这些突变体的特征将以先进的分析方法来确定对全球鞘脂代谢的影响。还将对拟南芥和番茄突变体进行研究，以检查鞘脂组成改变如何影响环境压力（包括干旱和高土壤盐度）的生长。除了在植物中产生有关鞘脂代谢和功能的基本知识外，结果还将提供可能导致通过育种和生物技术来提高作物植物的性能和生产力的信息。BROADER的影响：该项目将为高中和学生提供教育机会，并向高中和本科生提供教育机会。 PI和Co-Pi将参加植物研究和教育的合作伙伴关系，该计划通过允许他们使用模型植物拟南芥的突变体制定实验来参与科学过程。 PI和Co-Pi将与圣路易斯，密苏里州地区高中的参与学生会面，并描述蜂窝膜以及鞘脂的重要功能。 将为学生提供拟南芥突变体的种子，它们将用于实验，以测试有关生长和环境压力反应的假设。学生将通过在线实验室笔记本进行与PI和Co-Pi的互动。该项目还旨在通过内布拉斯加州林肯大学的本科生创意活动和研究经验（UCARE）计划提供研究机会，这是一项为期两年的计划，该计划使学生能够进行文学研究并开发独立的研究项目。通过参加UCARE，PI将招募和指导一名本科生，研究改变鞘脂组成对番茄和拟南芥生长和生理学的影响的影响。