Genomics of Tetrahymena

近一个世纪以来，研究人员一直在研究池塘中的纤毛虫原生动物四膜虫，在细胞和分子生物学方面取得了许多基础性发现，其中两项获得了诺贝尔奖。为了保持其作为主要模式生物的地位，四膜虫需要发育良好和维护良好的基因组资源。值得注意的是，四膜虫有两个不同的核，在其单个细胞内有不同的基因组，一个是生殖系，一个是体细胞。五年多前，体细胞基因组被测序和注释，揭示了大约25,000个基因。尽管这些数据对四膜虫研究人员来说是无价的，但基因组组装和许多基因模型是有缺陷或不完整的(这是这种草案级项目的典型情况)。利用从其他来源获得的转录和比较基因组数据，该项目将对基本基因组资源进行非常必要的修复。此外，生殖系基因组序列刚刚问世。这个项目将探索种系基因组的结构，它与它在发育过程中产生的体细胞基因组之间的关系，以及这两个基因组在进化过程中发生变化的方式。更广泛的影响：这些数据将用于更新和加强四膜虫基因组数据库的资源和功能，为广泛的研究人员社区服务，从而对科学的网络基础设施产生强大而广泛的影响。香港社会也非常重视研究与教育相结合的承诺。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供实验室和生物信息学体验。该项目将与纤毛基因组联盟合作，建立一个自我维持的计划，不断更新四膜虫的基因组资源，同时通过让学生参与原创和有价值的研究来增强他们的能力。纤毛基因组联盟是一个由不同学院和大学的教职员工和学生组成的网络。

For nearly a century, researchers have studied the pond-dwelling ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena, making numerous fundamental discoveries in cell and molecular biology, including two that won Nobel prizes. To maintain its position as a premier model organism, Tetrahymena needs well-developed and maintained genomic resources. Remarkably, Tetrahymena houses two distinct nuclei with distinct genomes 'one germline and one somatic' within its single cell. Over five years ago, the somatic genome was sequenced and annotated, revealing about 25,000 genes. Although the data have been invaluable to Tetrahymena researchers, the genome assembly and many of the gene models are flawed or incomplete (as is typical of such draft-level projects). Using transcriptomic and comparative genomic data obtained from other sources, this project will perform much needed repairs to the essential genomic resources. In addition, the germline genome sequence has just now become available. This project will explore the structure of the germline genome, how it is related to the somatic genome to which it gives rise in development , and ways in which both genomes have changed over the course of evolution. Broader Impact: These data will be used to update and enhance the resources and functionalities of the Tetrahymena Genome Database, serving a wide community of researchers and thus providing a strong broader impact to the cyber-infrastructure of science. This community also takes very seriously its commitment to the integration of research and education. The project will provide laboratory and bioinformatic experience to graduate and undergraduate students. In partnership with the Ciliate Genomics Consortium, a network of faculty and students at diverse colleges and universities, the project will establish a self-sustaining program to continually update Tetrahymena's genomic resources while empowering students by engaging them in original and valuable research.