This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The goal of this project is an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms by which plants acquire and then maintain the correct levels of iron and other metal nutrients. Currently, little is known about molecules involved in the movement of metals on a large scale, for example, from roots to leaves, or from leaves and roots into seeds. Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in plant iron movement is lacking, presenting a major obstacle to devising approaches for biofortification of staple foods. Biofortification refers to the modification of crops to accumulate additional iron in edible parts; it is widely regarded as a sustainable means of improving the iron nutrition of the 2-3 billion people worldwide whose inadequate diet causes iron deficiency anemia. Improving our understanding of plant iron homeostatic mechanisms is also critical if we wish to improve growth of crops in marginal soils, where iron deficiency frequently limits crop growth. The investigators' work on the Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) family of proteins is focused on these large scale, whole plant processes: YSL transporters are required for normal movement of iron, zinc, and copper in both vegetative and reproductive tissues.
By analyzing mutant plants that lack one or more YSL genes, the investigators will elucidate the key YSL genes that mediate large scale movements of metals in plants. By analyzing global gene expression in mutant plants, the investigators will identify novel genes and gene networks that are involved in plant Fe homeostasis. The investigators will also develop more reliable and straightforward assays that characterize the transport activities of the YSL transporters. This project will provide numerous (at least 60 over the three year duration of the project) meaningful opportunities for undergraduate participation in this research program, and in addition, will educate and train a PhD student and two postdoctoral students.
