Reference number : GC-2017-Q3-00853, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Bélanger, Richard (Université Laval), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Quebec|Québec, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Strategic Projects - Group, program name french : Projets stratégiques - groupe, program purpose english : The main objective of this proposal is to identify the molecular mechanisms of silicon (Si) absorption by plant species and to apply these findings towards improving plant resilience under harsh agricultural conditions. It rests on the well-established premise that Si accumulation protects plants against a variety of abiotic as well as biotic stresses. These benefits are more specifically observed in plants that express dedicated Si transport systems for Si uptake. One of these systems, the influx transporter 1 (Lsi1), a NIP-III from the aquaporin family, promotes Si influx across the exodermal and endodermal surfaces of root cells. The other system, the efflux transporter 2 (Lsi2), a putative anion transporter, promotes Si efflux across the same cells. Through recent structure-function studies in which the Si transport properties of Lsi1 and Lsi2 mutants were examined ,_x000D_
we have discovered that specific amino acid sequences and structural patterns confer differences among the various orthologs. By having identified the complete sequences of Lsi1 and Lsi2 and by using the heterologous expression system of Xenopus laevis to screen for such transporters, it will be possible to test hundreds of mutants or screen as many natural variants and to select the most promising ones for their ability to modulate Si accumulation in plants. Insights gained from such studies will be applied towards the production of climate-change i.e. drought and disease-resistant plants., program purpose french : The main objective of this proposal is to identify the molecular mechanisms of silicon (Si) absorption by plant species and to apply these findings towards improving plant resilience under harsh agricultural conditions. It rests on the well-established premise that Si accumulation protects plants against a variety of abiotic as well as biotic stresses. These benefits are more specifically observed in plants that express dedicated Si transport systems for Si uptake. One of these systems, the influx transporter 1 (Lsi1), a NIP-III from the aquaporin family, promotes Si influx across the exodermal and endodermal surfaces of root cells. The other system, the efflux transporter 2 (Lsi2), a putative anion transporter, promotes Si efflux across the same cells. Through recent structure-function studies in which the Si transport properties of Lsi1 and Lsi2 mutants were examined ,_x000D_
we have discovered that specific amino acid sequences and structural patterns confer differences among the various orthologs. By having identified the complete sequences of Lsi1 and Lsi2 and by using the heterologous expression system of Xenopus laevis to screen for such transporters, it will be possible to test hundreds of mutants or screen as many natural variants and to select the most promising ones for their ability to modulate Si accumulation in plants. Insights gained from such studies will be applied towards the production of climate-change i.e. drought and disease-resistant plants., agreement title english : Optimising plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses through improved silicon absorption, agreement title french : Optimising plant resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses through improved silicon absorption, agreement number : STPGP, agreement value : 579500.0, agreement start date : 2017-10-18, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2020-2021)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2020-2021)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada