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.

在气候迅速转变为更加恶劣的农作物种植条件的情况下，复原力对于全球可持续粮食生产和安全至关重要。低 pH 值的酸性土壤在全球范围内普遍存在，在热带和亚热带地区也很常见，这些地区的粮食安全是一个挑战。铝 (Al) 毒性是酸性土壤的一种显着非生物胁迫，会损害根系并增加作物对干旱和矿物质缺乏的敏感性。先前的研究表明，膜转运蛋白的多药和有毒化合物挤出（MATE）家族中的基因在高粱和玉米的铝耐受性中发挥着重要作用，而其他研究则强烈暗示DNA甲基化和组蛋白修饰的表观遗传变异在各种植物物种的铝耐受性中发挥着重要作用。该项目将采用多组学方法，在遗传和表观遗传水平上识别和探索铝耐受性的变化，以铝耐受性为范例，将基因调控与谷物的非生物胁迫耐受性联系起来。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转化产生重大影响，以制定更有效的育种策略，以适应更广泛的非生物胁迫条件。在培训和推广方面，除了项目学生和博士后科学家的培训外，该项目还将开发一个专注于铝耐受性的转化基因组学模块，该模块将包含在冷泉港实验室举办的长期谷物基因组学研讨会中。膜转运蛋白 MATE 家族中的同源基因通过介导铝解毒柠檬酸盐释放到根际，在高粱 (SbMATE) 和玉米 (ZmMATE1) 的铝耐受性中发挥重要作用。研究表明，铝诱导的 SbMATE 表达不仅局限于根尖（铝毒性和耐受性的部位），而且还非常特异性地定位于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，通过将表观遗传反应与细胞特异性基因表达联系起来，提供发现新型铝耐受基因所需的空间分辨率。将使用基因编辑和突变体分析对候选调控元件进行功能验证，并将在受控条件下和在特征良好的酸性土壤上对铝耐受表型进行评估。所有项目成果都将通过存放在适当的长期数据存储库和库存中心来提供和广泛分发。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。