Arsenic tolerance and hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata

凤尾蕨的砷耐受性和超积累

• 批准号: 1258097
• 负责人: Jo Ann Banks
• 金额: $ 51.5万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-08-01 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1258097&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Arsenic; tolerance; hyperaccumulation; Pteris; vittata

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid that is toxic to most organisms and is a known human carcinogen. It is a major contaminant of soils and ground water in many regions of the world and an increasing agricultural and health concern. The fern Pteris vittata is exceptional among plants and animals in that it is able to tolerate and accumulate very high levels of arsenic. The goal of this project is to understand how this fern is able to do this by discovering genes and the mechanisms necessary for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in this species. One aim of the project is to determine the route arsenic travels from the soil to the top of the plant where it is sequestered and test whether and how arsenic-related proteins previously identified (called ACR2 and ACR3) are involved in determining this route. A second aim is to discover new arsenic-related genes by assembling and identifying all of the genes that turn on or off in response to arsenic. Finally, individual genes that are turned on by arsenic will be knocked-down in the fern and tested to see if they are also necessary for arsenic tolerance in this species. The knowledge gained from this project has great potential to eliminate arsenic contamination in food and feed crops. Funds for this project will support three graduate students and many undergraduate students, who will receive training in molecular genetic techniques, data analysis, plant culture techniques and technical writing in order to assist in the research described. To inform the public about this remarkable 'arsenic-eating plant', the PI has been interviewed by NPR and participates in a local science café where this work is described. Each summer the PI also helps to prepare 20 elite high school students selected from across the US for the annual International Biology Olympiad. Data from this project will be used extensively in training these students.

砷是一种天然存在的金属，对大多数生物有毒，并且是已知的人类致癌物。它是世界许多地区的土壤和地下水的主要污染物，也是农业和健康的日益关注。蕨类植物维塔塔（Fern Pteris vittata）在动植物中非常出色，因为它能够耐受和积累很高的砷。该项目的目的是通过发现基因以及该物种中砷耐受性和积累所必需的机制来了解该蕨类植物如何做到这一点。该项目的一个目的是确定从土壤到植物的顶部的砷途径，并测试是否以及如何以及如何以及如何与砷相关的蛋白质（称为ACR2和ACR3）参与确定此途径。第二个目的是通过组装和识别响应砷打开或关闭的所有基因来发现新的与砷相关的基因。最后，通过砷打开的单个基因将在蕨类植物中被击倒，并测试以查看该物种中砷耐受性是否也是必要的。从该项目中获得的知识具有消除食物和饲料作物中砷污染的巨大潜力。该项目的资金将支持三名研究生和许多本科生，他们将接受分子遗传技术，数据分析，植物文化技术和技术写作的培训，以协助所述研究。为了告知公众这种非凡的“砷植物”，NPR采访了PI，并参加了一家描述这项工作的当地科学咖啡馆。每年夏天，PI都会有助于为20名来自美国的精英高中学生准备参加年度国际生物学奥林匹克运动会。该项目的数据将广泛用于培训这些学生。