Mechanisms for the propagation of R-loop induced chromosomal fragments in the germline

R环诱导染色体片段在种系中的繁殖机制

• 批准号: 2341479
• 负责人: Sarit Smolikove
• 金额: $ 55万
• 依托单位: University of Iowa
• 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: 2024-05-01 至 2027-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2341479&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanisms; propagation; loop; induced; chromosomal

Genetics, the study of heredity, aims to understand how genetic material is passed from one generation to the next. Reproduction of multicellular organisms requires formation of egg and sperm cells. This project will examine how these specialized cells are generated, focusing on how DNA breaks that occur during this process are managed. The outcomes will help to define rules important for the propagation of species. The project will include educational activities to improve literacy in genetics of young K-12 students from diverse backgrounds. The students will be introduced to basic concepts in genetics through interactions with university students and by applying play and creative exploration approaches. These activities will fulfill a need for STEM education during the summer for young student populations who would not otherwise be exposed to science, while providing undergraduate students with training on curriculum development. In addition, the project will provide research training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.Past research has shown that chromosome breaks in eggs can result from accumulation of structures involving long association between RNA and DNA. Broken chromosomes can either undergo double strand break repair or be capped with telomere sequences that block repair. This project will investigate how the latter mechanism stabilizes chromosome breaks induced by RNA-DNA hybrids and leads to their transmission into egg cells. Aim 1 will identify mechanisms by which chromosome repair is blocked, leading to addition of newly created telomeres to chromosome ends. Aim 2 will examine how the capping process is stimulated by the same events that lead to formation of chromosome breaks. The studies will be performed in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans using cell biology and genetic techniques. The research is expected to provide crucial insights into fundamental biological and genetic processes required for the formation of eggs and sperm with intact and functional chromosomes.This project is jointly funded by the Genetic Mechanisms program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.

遗传学是一门遗传研究，旨在了解遗传物质如何从一代传给下一代。多细胞生物的繁殖需要卵子和精子细胞的形成。该项目将研究这些特殊细胞是如何产生的，重点关注如何管理在此过程中发生的 DNA 断裂。研究结果将有助于定义对物种繁殖重要的规则。该项目将包括旨在提高来自不同背景的 K-12 年轻学生的遗传学素养的教育活动。通过与大学生的互动以及应用游戏和创造性探索方法，学生将了解遗传学的基本概念。这些活动将满足原本无法接触科学的年轻学生群体在夏季期间对 STEM 教育的需求，同时为本科生提供课程开发培训。此外，该项目还将为本科生和研究生提供研究培训机会。过去的研究表明，鸡蛋中的染色体断裂可能是由于RNA和DNA之间的长关联结构的积累造成的。断裂的染色体可以进行双链断裂修复，也可以用阻止修复的端粒序列加帽。该项目将研究后一种机制如何稳定 RNA-DNA 杂交引起的染色体断裂并导致其传播到卵细胞中。目标 1 将确定阻止染色体修复的机制，从而导致在染色体末端添加新创建的端粒。目标 2 将研究导致染色体断裂形成的相同事件如何刺激加帽过程。这些研究将利用细胞生物学和遗传技术在模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫中进行。该研究预计将为形成具有完整功能性染色体的卵子和精子所需的基本生物和遗传过程提供重要见解。该项目由分子和细胞生物科学部遗传机制项目和既定项目联合资助刺激竞争性研究 (EPSCoR)。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。