EAGER: Somatic Mutations in Plants

虽然许多园艺学家和植物学家都熟悉体细胞突变的经济方面，但体细胞突变作为进化变化机制所起的作用尚不清楚。植物组织的模块化和层次化性质为突变的发生提供了基础，并通过细胞分裂和分化永久存在，潜在地创造了遗传变异的马赛克(在植物遗传变异中)。基因改变的组织可以通过配子进行有性繁殖，也可以通过产生块茎、鳞茎、根茎和种子进行无性繁殖，从而导致亲本后代和体细胞改变后代的分化。尽管人们广泛认识到体细胞突变是可能发生的，但还不清楚在单个植物中能产生和保持多少变异。为了解决这个问题，我们建议对同一个体(根、茎、叶)的不同植物部分(根、茎、叶)内的遗传(基因水平)变异进行全基因组扫描，使用模式植物系统黑杨、三果杨和Illumina测序(重新测序)，特别是解决在个体内基因水平上的常见突变。最终，这项研究的结果将朝着解决关于自然界中体细胞突变的重要性及其进化重要性的长期争论迈出第一步，包括植物在进化上如何能够应对不断变化的环境条件，以及植物内部的基因变异是否可以防止害虫和病原体破坏寄主植物的防御。一名毕业生和一名本科生将接受基因组学和生物信息学方面的培训。

Although many horticulturists and botanists are familiar with the economic aspects of somatic mutation, the role somatic mutation plays as a mechanism for evolutionary change is unknown. The modular and layered nature of plant tissues provides the basis for mutations to occur and be perpetuated through cell division and differentiation, potentially creating mosaics of genetic variability (within plant genetic variability). Genetically altered tissues can be perpetuated sexually through gametes or asexually through the production of tubers, bulbs, runners, rhizomes, and seeds, leading to the divergence of parental and somatically altered offspring. In spite of wide acknowledgment that somatic mutation can occur, it is unknown how much variation can be generated and perpetuated within an individual plant. To address this issue we propose conducting a genome-wide scan of genetic (gene level) variation within different plant parts of the same individual (roots, stems, leaves) using the model plant system black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa, and Illumina sequencing (resequencing), specifically addressing how common mutations are at the level of the gene within an individual. Ultimately, the results of this study will take an initial step toward resolving a long-standing debate over the importance of somatic mutations in nature and their evolutionary importance, including ways in which plants may be able to evolutionarily cope with changing environmental conditions and whether within plant genetic variation can prevent pests and pathogens from breaking the defenses of their host plants. One graduate and one undergraduate student will gain training in genomics and bioinformatics.