The Impact of Pack-MULEs on Plant Genome Evolution and Mechanisms of Sequence Acquisition

智力优势：该项目的重点是Pack-MULEs，一组特殊的“跳跃基因”（转座因子），在植物中非常丰富。Pack-MULE的一个独特功能是它们能够复制，重组和改组基因组中的DNA片段。因此，Pack-MULE是潜在的“基因机器”，能够产生新基因或修改现有基因，从而有助于基因和基因组进化。尽管有大量的Pack-MULEs，但人们对Pack-MULEs经常获得新的基因功能或这些元件复制DNA片段的机制知之甚少。这项研究将确定水稻中3,000个Pack-MULE中有多少编码真正的蛋白质，并将研究Pack-MULE相关蛋白质子集的功能。此外，本研究将阐明Pack-MULE形成对现有基因的影响，并确定促进Pack-MULE序列复制的因素。这些研究将有助于更好地理解转座因子如何塑造基因组进化。更广泛的影响：不同层次的学生将接受分子遗传学和计算生物学前沿方法的培训。该项目将帮助来自代表性不足群体的本科生申请研究生学习。通过当地的公共教育园，该项目将向K-12学生和其他游客提供关于植物对食物的重要性以及导致表型多样性的遗传机制的教育。该项目所涉的研究和教育活动将提高广大公众的认识，使他们认识到自然界中的“基因工程”与分子和表型两级的变异有关。

Intellectual Merit: This project focuses on Pack-MULEs, a special group of "jumping genes" (transposable elements) that are abundant in plants. A unique feature of Pack-MULEs is their ability to duplicate, reorganize, and shuffle DNA fragments in the genome. As a result, Pack-MULEs are potential "gene machines", capable of generating new genes or modifying existing genes and thus contributing to gene and genome evolution. Despite the abundance of Pack-MULEs, little is known about often Pack-MULEs acquire new gene functions or the mechanisms by which these elements duplicate DNA fragments. This research will determine how many of the 3,000 Pack-MULEs in rice encode bona fide proteins and will study the function of a subset of Pack-MULE-associated proteins. In addition, this study will elucidate the impact of Pack-MULE formation on existing genes and determine the factors that promote sequence duplication by Pack-MULEs. Together, these studies will contribute to better understanding of how transposable elements shape genome evolution.Broader impacts: Students at different levels will be trained with cutting-edge approaches in molecular genetics and computational biology. This project will assist undergraduate students from under-represented groups in their application for graduate study. Through a local public educational garden, this project will provide education to K-12 students and other visitors on the importance of plants for food and on genetic mechanisms that result in phenotypic diversity. The research and education activity involved in this project will raise awareness of the broader public that "genetic engineering" in nature is associated with alternations at both the molecular and phenotypic level.