DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Evolution of Plant Drought Tolerance and Gene Function Across Historic Frequency Gradients

论文研究：植物耐旱性和基因功能在历史频率梯度上的演变

基本信息

批准号：
1701918
负责人：
John McKay
金额：
$ 1.98万
依托单位：
Colorado State University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-06-01 至 2019-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701918&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
DISSERTATION RESEARCH Evolution Plant Drought

项目摘要

This research will investigate the function of genes possibly involved in drought adaptation in wild populations of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Droughts are one of nature?s most devastating forces, affecting millions of people each year. Yet as agents of strong selection on plant populations, they are also valuable for understanding basic evolutionary processes, such as discovering the genes involved in adaptation. Furthermore, studying plant evolution in the context of drought may produce the critical knowledge needed to develop drought tolerant crops. Using a global map of historic drought frequency based on remote sensing data, populations were identified that experience very different drought frequencies. From data on genetic differences among those populations, 20 genes were identified that will be studied for their molecular and phenotypic effects. This work is expected to yield key insight into the evolution of gene function, and to confirm genes underlying drought tolerance traits. The results of studying these genes may be of great value to breeding programs working to improve drought tolerance in crop species. In addition, the project will involve mentoring both undergraduate and high school students, including individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences. Historic drought frequency significantly predicts important drought tolerance traits, flowering time and water use efficiency, among natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. The project will investigate the effects of loss of function alleles on 20 genes involved in flowering time or water use efficiency. A reverse genetics approach based on T-DNA gene knockouts will be used to artificially induce mutations in these genes in a common genomic background. The project will quantify the effect sizes of these hypothesized genes on flowering time and water use efficiency. It will also characterize effects on whole genome expression profiles and abiotic signaling cascades using RNAseq.

这项研究将调查拟南芥野生种群中可能参与干旱适应的基因的功能。干旱是大自然最具破坏性的力量之一，每年影响数百万人。然而，作为植物种群强选择的代理人，它们对于理解基本的进化过程也很有价值，例如发现与适应有关的基因。此外，研究干旱背景下的植物进化可能会产生开发耐旱作物所需的关键知识。使用基于遥感数据的历史干旱频率全球地图，确定了经历不同干旱频率的人群。根据这些人群之间遗传差异的数据，确定了 20 个基因，将研究它们的分子和表型效应。这项工作预计将对基因功能的进化产生重要的见解，并确认耐旱性状背后的基因。研究这些基因的结果可能对致力于提高作物品种耐旱性的育种计划具有重要价值。此外，该项目还将涉及指导本科生和高中生，包括来自科学领域代表性不足的群体的个人。历史干旱频率显着预测拟南芥天然种质的重要耐旱性状、开花时间和水分利用效率。该项目将研究功能等位基因缺失对与开花时间或水分利用效率有关的 20 个基因的影响。基于 T-DNA 基因敲除的反向遗传学方法将用于在共同的基因组背景下人为诱导这些基因的突变。该项目将量化这些假设基因对开花时间和水分利用效率的影响大小。它还将使用 RNAseq 表征对全基因组表达谱和非生物信号级联的影响。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（4）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

Drought adaptation in Arabidopsis thaliana by extensive genetic loss-of-function

DOI：
10.7554/elife.41038
发表时间：
2018-12
期刊：
eLife
影响因子：
7.7
作者：
J. G. Monroe;T. Powell;Nicholas Price;J. Mullen;A. Howard;Kyle Evans;J. Lovell;J. McKay
通讯作者：
J. G. Monroe;T. Powell;Nicholas Price;J. Mullen;A. Howard;Kyle Evans;J. Lovell;J. McKay

Drought regimens predict life history strategies in Heliophila

干旱方案预测Heliophila的生活史策略