RESEARCH-PGR: Unlocking the Genetic and Epigenetic Basis of Cereal Crop Adaptation to Acidic Soil Regions

研究-PGR：揭示谷物作物适应酸性土壤地区的遗传和表观遗传基础

• 批准号: 2328611
• 负责人: Thomas Gingeras
• 金额: $ 200万
• 依托单位: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-01 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2328611&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RESEARCH; PGR; Unlocking; Genetic; Epigenetic

In a climate that is rapidly transitioning into much harsher crop cultivation conditions, resilience becomes vital for sustainable food production and security across the globe. Acidic soils with low pH are widespread globally and common in tropical and sub-tropical regions, where food security is a challenge. Aluminum (Al) toxicity, a significant abiotic stress on acidic soils, damages root systems and enhances crop susceptibility to drought and mineral deficiencies. Previous studies have shown that genes in the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family of membrane transporters play an important role in Al tolerance in sorghum and maize while others strongly implicate epigenetic variation in DNA methylation and histone modification in Al tolerance in various plant species. This project will take a multi-omics approach to identify and explore variation in Al tolerance at both the genetic and epigenetic levels, using Al tolerance as a paradigm to connect gene regulation to abiotic stress tolerance in cereals. It is expected that this project will have significant impacts for facilitating translation of findings from maize and sorghum genetics/epigenetics and genomics research to develop more effective breeding strategies targeting adaptation to broader abiotic stress conditions. With respect to training and outreach, in addition to the training of project students and postdoctoral scientists, the project will develop a module on translational genomics focusing on Al tolerance that will be included in the long-running Cereal Genomics Workshop held at Cold Spring Harbor Lab. Homologous genes in the MATE family of membrane transporters play an important role in Al tolerance in sorghum (SbMATE) and maize (ZmMATE1) by mediating release of Al detoxifying citrate into the rhizosphere. Studies have shown that Al-induced expression of SbMATE is not just localized to the root apex, which is the site of Al toxicity and tolerance, but also very specifically to the epidermal and cortical cells in the distal transition zone. This project will leverage single-cell transcriptomics technologies that will provide the spatial resolution necessary to discover novel Al tolerance genes by associating epigenetic responses with cell-specific gene expression. Candidate regulatory elements will be functionally validated using gene editing and mutant analyses and Al tolerance phenotypes will be evaluated in controlled conditions and in the field on well-characterized acidic soils. All project outcomes will be made available and broadly distributed through deposition at the appropriate long-term data repositories and stock centers.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.

在迅速过渡到更为严峻的农作物种植条件的气候中，弹性对于全球可持续的粮食生产和安全至关重要。 pH值低的酸性土壤在全球范围内广泛，在热带和亚热带地区，粮食安全是一个挑战。铝（Al）毒性，对酸性土壤的明显非生物应激，损害根系，并增强农作物对干旱和矿物质不足的敏感性。先前的研究表明，多药和有毒化合物挤出（MATE）膜转运蛋白家族在高粱和玉米中的耐受性中起重要作用，而其他人则强烈暗示了各种植物物种中Al耐受性的DNA甲基化和组蛋白改变的表观遗传变异。该项目将采用多摩学方法来识别和探索遗传和表观遗传学水平的Al耐受性的变化，使用Al耐受性作为将基因调节与谷物中的非生物胁迫耐受性联系起来的范式。预计该项目将对促进玉米和高粱遗传学/表观遗传学和基因组学研究结果的翻译产生重大影响，以制定针对适应更广泛的非生物压力条件的更有效的繁殖策略。在培训和外展方面，除了对项目学生和博士后科学家的培训外，该项目还将开发一个关于重点是Al耐受性的转化基因组学的模块，该模块将包括在长期运行的谷物基因组学工作室中。膜转运蛋白伴侣家族中的同源基因在高粱（SBMATE）和玉米（ZMMATE1）中的耐受性中起着重要作用，通过介导Al毒酸柠檬酸酸盐释放到根际中。研究表明，Al诱导的SBMATE表达不仅位于根尖的位置，该根尖是Al毒性和耐受性的位置，而且非常特别针对远端过渡区的表皮和皮质细胞。该项目将利用单细胞转录组学技术，该技术将通过将表观遗传反应与细胞特异性基因表达相关联，提供必要的空间分辨率来发现新型Al耐受性基因。候选调节元素将在功能上使用基因编辑和突变分析进行功能验证，并且将在受控条件和特征良好的酸性土壤中评估Al耐受性表型。所有项目成果将在适当的长期数据存储库和股票中心通过沉积提供和广泛分发。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，认为值得通过评估来获得支持。