Chlamydomonas genomics: Photosynthesis and acclimation

该奖项为基因组资源的开发和应用提供了持续的支持，以研究衣藻（一种重要的模式生物）的基本生物过程。该项目将加强利用衣藻来阐明光合机构对变化的环境条件的调节。研究人员有以下五个目标：(1)建立衣藻的通用模式生物数据库（GMOD），该数据库将显示衣藻基因组及其特征，包括编码区、ESTs、cdna、剪接位点、BAC位置、分子标记和突变菌株的插入元件位点。(2)创建一个II期微阵列，代表8500 - 10000个独特的基因，并用一个基于寡核苷酸的阵列补充该阵列，该阵列将包括全基因组测序定义的基因，并且不包括在II期阵列中。阵列将用于编目适应环境胁迫的机制，使用野生型和突变株，其生物学表型已经确定；重点将放在光合作用上。(3)构建与光合功能相关的核基因饱和的插入突变体集合。插入菌株将受到一系列筛选的挑战，5000个受光合功能影响的菌株的插入位点将被测序并提供给群落。(4)创建高通量定位工具，以方便从未被插入标记的突变体中分离基因。这些主要是其他突变的抑制因子，或者是零损伤会致命的基因突变。制图将基于简单的序列重复，通过使用批量分离分析实现自动化和更快速。此外，政府亦会向市民提供地图服务。(5)开发载体，促进RNA干扰介导的反向遗传。莱茵衣藻（Chlamydomonas reinhardtii）是一种单细胞单倍体绿藻，是研究植物体内基本生物过程的重要模式系统。衣藻研究的复杂全基因组方法的进一步发展将大大增加其对科学界的有用性。该项目还将产生关于光合作用和适应的大量数据，增加我们对光合作用生物如何感知、响应和在快速变化的环境中生存的知识。它还将增强衣藻在世界各地的实验室中作为一种“训练”生物的实用性，并为年轻科学家提供一个新的、令人兴奋的进入研究事业的切入点。

This award provides continuing support for the development and application of genomic resources for the study of fundamental biological processes in Chlamydomonas, an important model organism. This project will enhance the use of Chlamydomonas for elucidating the regulation of the photosynthetic apparatus with respect to changing environmental conditions. The investigators have the following five goals: (1) Implement a Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD) for Chlamydomonas that will display the genome and its features, including coding regions, ESTs, cDNAs, splice sites, BAC positions, molecular markers and sites of insertion elements in mutant strains. (2) Create a Phase II microarray representing 8,500-10,000 unique genes and supplement the array with an oligonucleotide-based array that will include genes that are defined by whole genome sequencing and that are not included on the Phase II array. Arrays will be used to catalog mechanisms of acclimation to environmental stress, using both wild-type and mutant strains whose biological phenotypes have already been determined; an emphasis will be placed on photosynthetic function. (3) Build an insertional mutant collection saturated for nuclear genes whose products are linked to photosynthetic function. Insertion strains will be challenged with a battery of screens, and the insertion sites of 5,000 strains affected in photosynthetic function will be sequenced and made available to the community. (4) Create high-throughput mapping tools to facilitate gene isolation from mutants that are not tagged by insertions. These will primarily be suppressors of other mutations, or mutations in genes for which a null lesion would be lethal. The mapping will be based on simple sequence repeats, automated and made more rapid by the use of bulked segregant analysis. A mapping service will also be offered to the community.(5) Develop vectors to facilitate RNA interference-mediated reverse genetics.Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular haploid green alga, is an important model system for elucidating basic biological processes, especially in plants. The further development of sophisticated genome-wide methodologies for studies of Chlamydomonas will greatly augment its usefulness to the scientific community. This project will also produce extensive data on photosynthesis and acclimation, adding to our knowledge of how photosynthetic organisms sense, respond to, and survive in a rapidly changing environment. It will also enhance Chlamydomonas's usefulness as a 'training' organism in laboratories throughout the world, and provide a new and exciting entry point into research careers for young scientists.