Using native and synthetic genes to disrupt inositol pyrophosphates and phosphate accumulation in plants.

Inositol pyrophosphates are eukaryotic signaling molecules that have been recently identified as key regulators of plant phosphate sensing and homeostasis. Given the importance of phosphate to current and future agronomic practices, we sought to design plants, which could be used to sequester phosphate, as a step in a phytoremediation strategy. To achieve this, we expressed diadenosine and diphosphoinositol polyphosphate phosphohydrolase (DDP1), a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) enzyme demonstrated to hydrolyze inositol pyrophosphates, in Arabidopsis thaliana and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), a spring annual cover crop with emerging importance as a biofuel crop.

Regulation of inositol 1,2,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate and inositol hexakisphosphate levels in Gossypium hirsutum by IPK1.

The IPK1 genes, which code for 2-kinases that can synthesize Ins(1,2,4,5,6)P from Ins(1,4,5,6)P, are expressed throughout cotton plants, resulting in the highest Ins(1,2,4,5,6)P concentrations in young leaves and flower buds. Cotton leaves contain large amounts of Ins(1,2,4,5,6)P and InsP compared to plants not in the Malvaceae family. The inositol polyphosphate pathway has been linked to stress tolerance in numerous plant species.

A Role for Inositol Pyrophosphates in the Metabolic Adaptations to Low Phosphate in .

Phosphate is a major plant macronutrient and low phosphate availability severely limits global crop productivity. In , a key regulator of the transcriptional response to low phosphate, phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1), is modulated by a class of signaling molecules called inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs). Two closely related diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate enzymes ( and ) are responsible for the synthesis and turnover of InsP, the most implicated molecule.

Ten best practices for taking experiential learning online.

Like many institutions around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to shift our summer 2020 in-person undergraduate experiential learning program to a remote, virtual format. Here, we present our observations, summarized in 10 best practices, for moving a STEM-focused research experience for undergraduates, experiential learning program or research-based course online. We will also discuss how our program was originally designed and implemented, and how we adapted our activities to deliver an at-home research experience that maintained student engagement, mentorship, and a shared sense of community.