Collaborative Research: EDGE CMT: Genomic and molecular bases of pollination syndrome evolution in monkeyflowers

合作研究：EDGE CMT：猴花授粉综合征进化的基因组和分子基础

• 批准号: 2319721
• 负责人: Yaowu Yuan
• 金额: $ 128.25万
• 依托单位: University of Connecticut
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2027-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2319721&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; EDGE; CMT; Genomic

Variation in complex traits (e.g., human height) is usually caused by multiple genes. Identification and characterization of the causal genes and mutations underlying these multi-gene traits remain a central challenge in biology. One of the most intriguing examples of such adaptations in plants is the pollination syndrome, a suite of floral traits that enable specialized associations between flowers and their animal pollinators (e.g., bees, hummingbirds, hawkmoths). For example, hummingbird-pollinated flowers are usually large in size, red in color, with copious nectar production and exerted reproductive organs, whereas bee-pollinated flowers usually display various colors (but not red), a smaller quantity of nectar, inserted reproductive organs, and a clear landing platform. Evolutionary transitions from one pollination syndrome to another require coordinated changes of multiple floral traits, with each trait controlled by multiple genes, yet these switches occur rapidly in nature in many plant groups. This study employs a new genetic model system, monkeyflowers, to investigate how pollination syndrome switches occur at the genomic and molecular level. Furthermore, this study integrates research with student education and public outreach through the lens of pollination syndromes. Specific activities include organized pollinator observation experiments in a common garden on the University of Connecticut campus to raise public awareness of animal pollination service, creation of a bioinformatic Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience at Haverford College, and production of professional videos that bring pollination syndrome research to life to be released on a highly subscribed YouTube channel, Science IRL (‘in real life’).The overall objective of this project is to systematically dissect the genomic and molecular bases of floral trait variation among three closely related monkeyflower (Mimulus) species that display three distinct pollination syndromes, including the bee-pollinated M. lewisii, the hummingbird-pollinated M. cardinalis, and the self-pollinated M. parishii. These species are amenable to fine-scale genetic mapping and rigorous functional interrogation through stable transgenics. We plan to accomplish our overall objective by pursuing the following specific aims: (i) Generate high-quality near-isogenic lines (NILs), which differ from a parental species by only a single floral trait locus introgressed from another species, and use the NILs to genetically dissect each quantitative trait locus (QTL) underlying the pollination syndrome switches, (ii) Functionally characterize the causal genes and mutations under individual QTLs using stable transgenic experiments, (iii) Construct gene regulatory networks/modules that control pollination syndrome component traits using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Results from this study are anticipated to provide an in-depth, genome-wide view of the causal genes underlying pollination syndrome switches, to identify a set of gene regulatory modules controlling individual floral traits that should be widely applicable in other plant systems, and to reveal novel molecular mechanisms that can inform studies of phenotypic evolution in not only plants, but also other organisms.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.

复杂性状（例如人类身高）的变异通常是由多个基因引起的，这些多基因性状背后的因果基因和突变的识别和表征仍然是生物学中这种适应最有趣的例子之一。是授粉综合症，是一系列花卉特征，使花朵与其传粉动物（例如蜜蜂、蜂鸟、天蛾）之间产生特殊联系。例如，蜂鸟授粉的花朵通常较大。大小，颜色为红色，具有丰富的花蜜产生和发挥生殖器官，而蜜蜂授粉的花朵通常显示出多种颜色（但不是红色），花蜜量较少，插入生殖器官，并且有一个明显的进化过渡平台。授粉综合症到另一种授粉综合症需要多个花性状的协调变化，每个性状由多个基因控制，但这些转变在自然界中在许多植物群体中迅速发生。这项研究采用了一种新的遗传模型系统——猴花，来研究授粉综合症转变是如何发生的。在此外，这项研究通过授粉综合症的视角将研究与学生教育和公众宣传结合起来，具体活动包括在康涅狄格大学校园的一个公共花园中组织授粉昆虫观察实验，以提高公众对动物授粉服务的认识。在哈弗福德学院创建基于生物信息学课程的本科生研究体验，并制作专业视频，将授粉综合症研究变为现实，并在订阅率很高的 YouTube 频道 Science IRL（“现实生活中”）上发布。这个项目是为了有必要剖析三个密切相关的猴花（Mimulus）物种之间花性状变异的基因组和分子基础，这些物种表现出三种不同的授粉综合症，包括蜜蜂授粉的 M. lewisii、蜂鸟授粉的 M. cardinalis 和自花授粉的 Mimulus这些物种可以通过稳定的转基因进行精细的遗传图谱和严格的功能研究，我们计划通过追求以下具体目标来实现我们的总体目标：（i）生成高质量的近等基因系 (NIL)，其与亲本物种的区别仅在于从另一个物种渗入的单个花性状基因座，并使用 NIL 对授粉综合征转换背后的每个数量性状基因座 (QTL) 进行遗传剖析， (ii) 使用稳定的转基因实验对单个 QTL 下的因果基因和突变进行功能表征，(iii) 使用加权基因共表达网络分析构建控制授粉综合症成分性状的基因调控网络/模块。通过这项研究，我们期望对授粉综合征转换的因果基因提供深入的全基因组视图，以确定一组控制个体花性状的基因调控模块，这些模块应广泛适用于其他植物系统，并揭示新颖的分子机制不仅可以为植物而且还可以为其他生物体的表型进化研究提供信息。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。