Functional Genomics of Maize Centromeres

PI：R。Kelly Dawe（格鲁吉亚大学-雅典分校）CoPI：James A. Birchler（密苏里州-哥伦比亚大学）、Jiming Jiang（威斯康星州-麦迪逊大学）、Gernot Presting（夏威夷大学-马诺阿）和Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra（加州-戴维斯大学）着丝粒是基因组中组织和调节染色体运动的区域。 它们是开发下一代人工染色体的关键要素，用于将新性状引入作物植物。然而，对着丝粒的生物学仍然知之甚少。 在这个项目中进行的实验将完成玉米着丝粒的测序和组装，解决已知的与采用人工染色体相关的表观遗传限制，开发改进的策略来简化着丝粒的研究和使用，并记录玉米和近缘物种中着丝粒的多样性。 为了扩大植物遗传学的培训机会，将启动两个方案。 其中一个将通过在威斯康星州大学举行的年度细胞遗传学讲习班提供植物细胞遗传学方面的实践培训。第二个项目是项目实验室与墨西哥国立自治大学之间的国际学生交流项目。 具体来说，13名学生将获得资助，在大学之间旅行，并从事与着丝粒进化和功能有关的合作项目。 将利用一个网站（www.plantcentromeres.org）来传播项目的成果和协调推广活动。此外，序列数据将保存在MaizeGDB（www.maizegdb.org）和GenBank。 产生的种质将保存在爱荷华州中北部地区植物引种站（艾姆斯，IA）。

PI: R. Kelly Dawe (University of Georgia - Athens)CoPIs: James A. Birchler (University of Missouri - Columbia), Jiming Jiang (University of Wisconsin - Madison), Gernot Presting (University of Hawaii - Manoa), and Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra (University of California - Davis)Centromeres are regions of the genome that organize and regulate chromosome movement. They are key elements in the development of next-generation artificial chromosomes for introducing new traits into crop plants. Yet the biology of centromeres remains poorly understood. The experiments carried out in this project will complete the sequence and assembly of maize centromeres, address known epigenetic limitations associated with employing artificial chromosomes, develop improved strategies for streamlining centromere study and use, and document the diversity of centromeres in maize and allied species. To expand training opportunities in plant genetics, two programs will be initiated. One will provide hands-on training in plant cytogenetics through an Annual Cytogenetics Workshop to be held at the University of Wisconsin. The second will be an international student exchange program between project laboratories and the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Specifically, thirteen students will be funded to travel between universities and work on collaborative projects relating to centromere evolution and function. A web site (www.plantcentromeres.org) will be used to disseminate results from the project and to coordinate outreach activities. In addition, sequence data will be deposited at MaizeGDB (www.maizegdb.org) and GenBank. Germplasm generated will be deposited at the Iowa North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (Ames, IA).