Research Initiation Award: Identification and Characterization of Cofactor-Linked RNAs in Plants

Saint Augustine'S College, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Saint Augustine's College intends to identify and characterize plant cofactor capped RNAs using biochemical, computational and molecular approaches to uncover new regulatory mechanisms in plants. Undergraduate students will be included in the project and will gain laboratory training and preparation for STEM careers. The overall goal of this project is to dissect and rewire plant signaling in model organisms to enhance crop resilience to environmental challenges such climate and weather change. The objectives are to isolate and identify 5'-NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) capped RNAs and 5'-CoA (coenzyme A) capped RNAs from plants and to examine de-capping mechanisms of 5'-NAD+ capped RNAs in plants. This study will contribute to the understanding of plant 5'-NAD+ capped RNAs and 5'-CoA capped RNAs functioning as cellular metabolic sensors to regulate gene expression and/or regulate metabolic signaling pathways. This will involve the modification of the terminal nicotinamide on 5'-NAD+ capped RNAs to an alkyne that is suitable for biotinylation through chemoenzymatic and click-chemistry processing followed by cDNA synthesis for high-throughput sequencing. 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.