US-Tunisia Planning Visit: The Genomics of Salinity Adaptation in the Medicago Truncatula-Sinorhizobium Symbiosis

0751073 Nuzhdin该提案旨在支持两位PI（南加州大学洛杉矶分校分子计算生物学系的Sergey Nuzhdin博士和加州大学戴维斯分校进化与生态学部的Sharon Strauss博士）计划访问突尼斯，以建立他们与突尼斯Hammam Lif的Technopole de Bordj Cedra（CBBC）生物技术中心的Mohamed Elarabi Aouani博士之间的研究合作。 PI的合作还将涉及与Aouani博士合作的一些法国科学家。 他们计划讨论蒺藜苜蓿-中华根瘤菌共生体中盐度适应的基因组学。 他们将参加广泛的讨论，并参观突尼斯实验室，温室设施和现场。Aouani博士的团队将提供生物材料，进行基因鉴定和温室试验，并在拟议项目期间参与实地实验。尽管达尔文强调了生态相互作用对进化多样化的重要性，我们只是最近才获得分子工具，使我们能够了解适应性变异如何在应对环境挑战和生态挑战时进化。交互.该项目将侧重于生态多样性的突尼斯收集的蒺藜苜蓿（Mtr）及其固氮共生菌苜蓿中华根瘤菌（Sm）。主要的研究目标是确定网络的基因在MTR和Sm基因组参与适应和共适应，以应对高盐度条件。从六个重点人群，三个高盐的网站，基因型将在高与低盐度和高，低盐度的网站与根瘤菌菌株的因子组合进行测试，以记录MTR基因型，Sm基因型的作用，以及它们之间的相互作用，在不同的盐度制度下的性能。并发代谢组和转录组配置文件将确定与耐盐性和健身实验处理之间的权衡相关的基因网络。更广泛的影响：土壤盐分增加是一个主要的农业问题，随着持续灌溉，这个问题只会变得更加紧迫。该项目的一个长期目标是通过鉴定与耐盐性有关的遗传途径，并确定这些途径如何影响宿主植物与其固氮共生体的关系，促进适合盐碱环境的豆类作物的发展。 由于世界上不同的地区面临着相似的环境挑战，跨文化的知识交流和培训对于以科学为基础解决问题至关重要。该项目将支持一名美国博士后科学家和一名美国研究生参加访问。

0751073 NuzhdinThis proposal is to support planning visits by the two PIs, Dr. Sergey Nuzhdin, Department of Molecular & Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles and Dr. Sharon Strauss, Section of Evolution and Ecology, University of California at Davis, California to Tunisia, to establish research collaboration between them and Dr. Mohamed Elarabi Aouani, Center of Biotechnology, Technopole de Bordj Cedra (CBBC) in Hammam Lif, Tunisia. The PIs collaboration will also involve a number of French scientists working with Dr. Aouani. They plan to discuss the Genomics of Salinity Adaptation in the Medicago truncatula-Sinorhizobium symbiosis. They will participate in extensive discussions and tour the Tunisian lab, greenhouse facilities, and field sites. Dr. Aouani's team will contribute biological material, perform genetic characterization and greenhouse trials, and participate in field experiments during the course of the proposed project.Intellectual merit: Although Darwin emphasized the importance of ecological interactions for evolutionary diversification, we have only recently acquired the molecular tools that allow us to understand how adaptive variation evolves in response to environmental challenges and ecological interactions. The project will focus on an ecographically diverse Tunisian collection of Medicago truncatula (Mtr) and their nitrogen-fixing symbionts Sinorhizobium meliloti (Sm). The primary research goal is to identify networks of genes in the Mtr and Sm genomes that are involved in adaptation and coadaptation in response to high-salinity conditions. Genotypes from six focal populations, three from highly saline sites, will be tested under high vs. low salinity and in factorial combinations with rhizobial strains from high and low salinity sites, to document the roles of Mtr genotype, Sm genotype, and their interaction on performance under contrasting salinity regimes. Concurrent metabolome and transcriptome profiles will identify networks of genes associated with salinity tolerance and fitness tradeoffs between experimental treatments. Broader impacts: Increasing soil salinity is a major agricultural problem that will only becomemore urgent with continued irrigation. A long-term goal of this project is to facilitate thedevelopment of legume crops suited to saline environments, by identifying genetic pathways involved in salinity tolerance, and determining how these pathways influence the relationship of the host plant with its nitrogen-fixing symbiont. Because disparate regions of the world face similar environmental challenges, cross-cultural exchanges of knowledge and training are essential for science-based problem solving. The project will involve support for a U.S. post-doctoral scientist and a U.S. graduate student to participate in the visits.