Role of microRNA-related Polymorphisms in Regulating Heterotic Gene Expression

microRNA相关多态性在调节杂种基因表达中的作用

• 批准号: 0922526
• 负责人: Lei Li
• 金额: $ 49.89万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-15 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0922526&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Role; microRNA; related; Polymorphisms; Regulating

PI: Lei Li (University of Virginia)Heterosis (hybrid vigor) refers to the phenomenon that progeny of diverse inbred parent exhibits superior traits to either of the two parents. This phenomenon has been extensively exploited in plant breeding and crop improvement. Although several genetic concepts have long been used to explain heterosis, they are not yet connected with molecular principles and thus offer limited mechanistic insight. The goal of this project is to investigate the role of microRNA-mediated gene circuits, which regulate many plant developmental processes, in heterosis in the rice plant. This work will utilize the rice genome sequences, high throughput experimental techniques, bioinformatic tools, and molecular techniques to examine 1) how microRNA-related polymorphisms between two parental rice strains contribute to differential gene expression in their hybrids, and 2) whether manipulation the expression levels of key microRNA genes impacts heterotic phenotypes. Through this project, a set of microRNA genes and their target genes involved in heterosis will be identified. Knowledge gained from this research should provide a framework necessary to understand the role of microRNA-mediated molecular events in the expression of heterosis and thus a foundation for further engineering the phenomenon in crop improvement. The broader impacts of this project stem in part from the yield advantage and other superior traits of hybrid-based crop production. Understanding the contribution of microRNA-regulated gene circuits to heterosis in the model plant rice is of great importance to food security worldwide. A comprehensive set of experimentally tested microRNA genes in rice will be made available to the public through established microRNA databases (http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/) and rice annotation databases (http://rice.plantbiology.msu.edu/). Such information will provide new insights into microRNA-mediated gene regulation and add to our general knowledge of plant genome expression and regulation. Given that rice is a model for the grass species, information obtained from this project should facilitate comparative genomics studies aimed at tracing evolution of microRNA-regulated gene circuits in other food, feed and energy crops. The broader impacts of this project also include excellent training opportunities in the interdisciplinary field of plant genomics and bioinformatics. By blending classroom lectures with computational experimentation, information generated from this project will be particularly useful to encourage undergraduate students to actively participate in independent research.

PI：Lei Li（弗吉尼亚大学）杂种（混合活力）是指以多种近亲父母的后代表现出比两个父母中的任何一个具有出色特征的现象。这种现象已在植物育种和作物改善中广泛利用。尽管多种遗传概念长期以来一直被用来解释杂种，但它们尚未与分子原理有关，因此提供了有限的机械洞察力。该项目的目的是研究MicroRNA介导的基因回路的作用，该基因回路调节了许多植物发育过程，在水稻植物的杂种中。这项工作将利用水稻基因组序列，高吞吐量实验技术，生物信息学工具和分子技术来检查1）两种父母水稻菌株之间与microRNA相关的多态性如何有助于杂种中的差异基因表达以及2）关键microRNA基因的水平会影响杂种表型。通过该项目，将确定一组microRNA基因及其涉及杂种的靶基因。从这项研究中获得的知识应提供一个必要的框架，以了解microRNA介导的分子事件在杂种表达中的作用，从而为进一步设计作物改善现象的基础。该项目的更广泛影响部分源于产量优势和基于混合作物的其他优质特征。了解在模型植物大米中，了解微氮的基因回路对杂种的贡献对于全球粮食安全至关重要。大米中的一组实验测试的MicroRNA基因将通过已建立的MicroRNA数据库（http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/）和水稻注释数据库（http：//rice.plantbiology.su.msu.su.su.su.su.su.su.su.su.uk/）提供全面的实验测试的microRNA基因。 edu/）。这些信息将为microRNA介导的基因调节提供新的见解，并增加我们对植物基因组表达和调节的一般知识。鉴于大米是草种的模型，因此从该项目获得的信息应促进旨在追踪其他食物，饲料和能量作物中微生果调节基因回路演化的比较基因组学研究。该项目的更广泛影响还包括植物基因组学和生物信息学跨学科领域的出色培训机会。通过将课堂讲座与计算实验融合在一起，该项目产生的信息对于鼓励本科生积极参与独立研究特别有用。