CAREER: De novo emergence of novel regulatory mechanisms that determine carbon and nitrogen resource allocations in plants

职业生涯：决定植物碳氮资源分配的新型调控机制从头出现

• 批准号: 2238942
• 负责人: Ling Li
• 金额: $ 79.99万
• 依托单位: Mississippi State University
• 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: 2023-02-15 至 2028-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2238942&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; De; novo; emergence; novel

The bulk molecular composition of biological systems is determined by complex metabolic networks that mediate the allocation of primarily carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to the assembly of macromolecules such as proteins, oils, and carbohydrates. This metabolic allocation is of major importance in determining the nutritional quality of plant seeds, which fundamentally affects the ability of the seed to act as the propagule and is also of major importance to agricultural production of food, feed and bio-based feedstocks. The Arabidopsis QQS (Qua-Quine Starch, At3g30720) gene has the potential of being a universal novel regulator of C and N allocation to the assembly of proteins and carbohydrates. QQS is archetypal of a class of “orphan” genes that shares no sequence homology in any other species and is exemplary of the “dark-genome”. When QQS is expressed in crops, it increases protein and decreases starch content. QQS physically interacts with the C4 subunit of the trimeric Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) that regulates eukaryotic transcription. The broader impacts of the project include the intrinsic nature of the research, which could provide a major breakthrough in our ability to systematically direct metabolism towards the production of food and feed, and biorenewable resources. In addition, the project will provide excellent projects for postdoctoral researchers, graduate, undergraduate and high/middle/elementary school students and education of plant biotechnology in Mississippi, accessible inter-disciplinary training to increase student exposure to biology early, and to increase the number of early career researchers who may spur innovation in STEM research. The overall research goal is to identify and expand the novel regulatory network that enables QQS to control protein and carbohydrate composition in plants. The overarching hypothesis is that protein-coding orphan genes, which have evolutionarily only recently emerged (e.g., QQS), can be selected and maintained in evolution by acting on existing metabolic networks to mediate responses that confer selective advantages. This research proposes to elucidate the regulatory network that QQS disrupts, which impacts the metabolic network determining protein and carbohydrate content. This research will provide a paradigm for understanding how an orphan gene can be integrated into established genetic and biochemical networks and spur the rapid acquisition of novel traits. Specifically, the QQS protein interacts with NF-YC4 regulatory complex, affecting the C and N partitioning between starch and protein reserves. This attribute is transgenically transferable across species barriers and has the potential to regulate plant reserves to the benefit of human consumption. Moreover, the QQS gene offers unique opportunities to fundamentally understand the intersection between genetic and metabolic networks regulating one of the most important traits in agriculture: seed composition determinants.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.

生物系统的整体分子组成由复杂的代谢网络决定，该网络主要介导碳 (C) 和氮 (N) 到大分子分配的组装，例如蛋白质、油和碳水化合物。这种代谢分配在生物系统中至关重要。确定植物种子的营养质量，这从根本上影响种子作为繁殖体的能力，并且对于食品、饲料和生物基原料的农业生产也具有重要意义。 At3g30720）基因具有成为蛋白质和碳水化合物组装的 C 和 N 分配的通用新型调节剂的潜力，QQS 是一类“孤儿”基因的原型，该基因在任何其他物种中都没有序列同源性，并且是该基因的典范。当 QQS 在作物中表达时，它会增加蛋白质并降低淀粉含量，从而与三聚体核因子 Y (NF-Y) 的 C4 亚基发生物理相互作用。该项目的更广泛影响包括研究的内在性质，这可能为我们系统地引导新陈代谢生产食物和饲料以及生物可再生资源的能力提供重大突破。为博士后研究人员、研究生、本科生和高中/初中/小学生提供优秀项目以及密西西比州的植物生物技术教育，提供跨学科培训，以增加学生早期接触生物学的机会，并增加可能激励的早期职业研究人员的数量STEM 研究的创新。总体研究目标是识别和扩展新的调控网络，使 QQS 能够控制植物中的蛋白质和碳水化合物组成。总体假设是，最近才在进化上出现的蛋白质编码孤儿基因（例如 QQS）可以被编码。通过作用于现有的代谢网络来介导赋予选择性优势的反应，从而在进化中选择和维持。本研究旨在阐明 QQS 破坏的调节网络，这会影响代谢网络的蛋白质决定和碳水化合物含量。了解孤儿基因如何整合到已建立的遗传和生化网络中并刺激新性状的快速获得。具体来说，QQS 蛋白与 NF-YC4 调节复合物相互作用，通过转基因方式影响淀粉和蛋白质储备之间的 C 和 N 分配。此外，QQS 基因可以跨越物种障碍进行转移，并有可能调节植物储备以造福于人类消费。此外，QQS 基因提供了独特的机会，可以从根本上了解调节农业中最重要的性状之一：种子组成的遗传和代谢网络之间的交叉。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。

项目成果

Improved forage quality and biomass yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) by Arabidopsis QQS orphan gene

通过拟南芥 QQS 孤儿基因提高苜蓿 (Medicago sativa L.) 的饲料品质和生物量产量

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cpb.2023.100295
• 发表时间: 2023-09-01
• 期刊: Current Plant Biology
• 影响因子: 5.4
• 作者: Kexin Wang;Jianing Yan;Rezwan Tanvir;Ling Li;Yanrong Liu;Wanjun Zhang
• 通讯作者: Wanjun Zhang

Single-cell genetic models to evaluate orphan gene function: The case of QQS regulating carbon and nitrogen allocation

评估孤儿基因功能的单细胞遗传模型：QQS调节碳氮分配的案例

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1126139
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Frontiers in Plant Science
• 影响因子: 5.6
• 作者: Lei Wang;Andrew J. Tonsager;Wenguang Zheng;Yingjun Wang;Dan J. Stessman;Wei Fang;Kenna E. Stenback;A. Campbell;Rezwan Tanvir;Jinjiang Zhang;Samuel Cothron;Dongli Wan;Yan Meng;M. Spalding;B. Nikolau;Linghua Li
• 通讯作者: Linghua Li

Plant-on-chip: Core morphogenesis processes in the tiny plant Wolffia australiana

芯片植物：微小植物澳大利亚无根草的核心形态发生过程

• DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad141
• 发表时间: 2023-05
• 期刊: PNAS Nexus
• 作者: Li, Feng;Yang, Jing-Jing;Sun, Zong-Yi;Wang, Lei;Qi, Le-Yao;Sina, A.;Liu, Yi-Qun;Zhang, Hong-Mei;Dang, Lei-Fan;Wang, Shu-Jing;Luo, Chun-Xiong;Nian, Wei-Feng;O'Conner, Seth;Ju, Long-Zhen;Quan, Wei-Peng;Li, Xiao-Kang;Wang, Chao;Wang, De-Peng;You, Han-Li;Cheng, Zhu-Kuan;Yan, Jia;Tang, Fu-Chou;Yang, De-Chang;Xia, Chu-Wei;Gao, Ge;Wang, Yan;Zhang, Bao-Cai;Zhou, Yi-Hua;Guo, Xing;Xiang, Sun-Huan;Liu, Huan;Peng, Tian-Bo;Su, Xiao-Dong;Chen, Yong;Ouyang, Qi;Wang, Dong-Hui;Zhang, Da-Ming;Xu, Zhi-Hong;Hou, Hong-Wei;Bai, Shu-Nong;Li, Ling
• 通讯作者: Li, Ling

Editorial: Carbon allocation, volume II

社论：碳分配，第二卷

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1342494
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Frontiers in Plant Science
• 影响因子: 5.6
• 作者: Tanvir, Rezwan;Gibson, Susan I.;Wurtele, Eve Syrkin;Li, Ling
• 通讯作者: Li, Ling