Stomates are pores in leaf surfaces permitting the essential exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen, but their opening can also cause water loss. Vacuoles are organelles in plant cells that are important for stomata function. This research will determine how fusion of vacuoles is regulated to control pore opening. Regulation of pore opening by rational re-engineering of relevant proteins may allow design of crops with predictable stomata behaviors, enhanced resilience to water deficit and improved yield. This work will train postdoctoral scholars, one graduate student, and two undergraduates at the interface between Plant Biology and Engineering. Outreach activities will take place at a comparative biology open-house and the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Minority high school students will engage in a 3-day immersive research experience.
The goal of this research is to develop a predictive model for regulating stomata opening by manipulating vacuole fusion dynamics. Vacuole fusion is regulated by two highly-conserved protein complexes, SNARE and HOPS. A dynamic mathematical model of how HOPS-SNARE interactions contribute to fusion frames the approaches and aims of this project, which are: 1) Identify emergent behaviors for the HOPS-SNARE interactome in guard cells. 2) Quantify the relationship between vacuole morphology and guard cell movement. 3) Identify the upstream molecular signals that control HOPS or HOPS-SNARE interactions. We will use genetics, biochemistry, and quantitative imaging to test model-derived predictions regarding emergent outcomes. This effort will result in fundamental advances in our understanding of organelle fusion, and it may identify logical modes of control.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
