自噬相关基因ATG8与植物耐热性形成的关系尚未完全阐明。针对此问题，本项目拟在前期研究基础上，以“喜温不耐热”的辣椒为试材，以热胁迫下优势诱导表达的CaATG8c和CaATG8e为研究对象，采用耐热品系和热敏品系对比研究的方法，通过分析这两个基因在热胁迫下的表达特性、研究其沉默表达与异位表达对辣椒和其他植物耐热性的影响、探讨自噬调节剂对CaATG8c、CaATG8e基因表达及辣椒耐热性的影响，明确CaATG8基因在辣椒耐热性形成中的功能；通过分析热胁迫下不同辣椒耐热性品系中CaATG8c、CaATG8e基因启动子活性差异，研究外源耐热相关信号物质、蛋白酶体系统抑制剂对CaATG8c、CaATG8e基因表达及辣椒耐热性的影响，阐明CaATG8基因参与辣椒耐热性形成所涉及的调控途径。通过本项目的顺利实施，有望从ATG8的角度进一步阐明自噬介导的受损蛋白清除能力与植物耐热性之间的关系。

The relationship between the autophagy-related gene ATG8 and plant heat tolerance remains to be finally understood. In this project, the functions and regulation of ATG8 gene from pepper, a typical thermophilic but heat-sensitive plant species, will be surveyed. Based on the preliminary research work, two pepper lines with different heat tolerance will be used to compare the functions and regulations of CaATG8c and CaATG8e, two CaATG8 family members with predominant induced- expression under heat stress. .The functional research will be conducted by analyzing the expression patterns of CaATG8c and CaATG8e under heat stress, and by studying the effects of gene-silencing and ectopic expression on the heat tolerance of pepper and other plants, and by discovering the effects of autophagy regulators on the expression CaATG8c and CaATG8e and the heat tolerance of pepper. To clarify the candidate regulation pathways of CaATG8 gene involving the development of pepper heat tolerance, experiments will be carried out by comparing the promoter activities of CaATG8c and CaATG8e gene from different pepper lines with different heat tolerance under heat stress, and by investigating the effects of exogenous heat-related signal substances and inhibitor of proteasome system on the expression of CaATG8c and CaATG8e and the heat tolerance of pepper..By this project, the relationship between the ability of removing damaged proteins mediated by autophagy and the plant heat tolerance will be further understood from the aspect of ATG8.