RUI-Identification of Genes and Cellular Processes Targeted by Imprinted Pathways in Natural Variants of Arabidopsis thaliana

虽然众所周知，我们一半的基因来自母亲，另一半来自父亲，但我们所继承的基因可以发挥不同的作用，这一点却不那么广为人知，这取决于父母提供给我们的基因。例如，受双亲基因组印记(PGI)调控的基因在受精后无论是母系还是父系(取决于基因)都会沉默。在哺乳动物和种子植物中发现了PGI的特征，在这两种情况下，PGI在一定程度上与对后代可用的母体资源的调节有关。利用拟南芥的植物模型，人们发现，来自不同地区的植物可以促进种子大小的强劲增长，这取决于它们在杂交中是被用作母亲还是父亲。这可能进一步表明，父母对资源分配的偏见，或者甚至选择印记基因本身，受到自然种群中的变异的影响。该项目旨在利用重组自交系(RI)来识别与这些亲本效应有关的基因，重组自交系是两个初始亲本的基因嵌合体，并定位携带母体基因表达视觉标记的群体。此外，将在细胞水平上描述种子发育的特征，以更好地描述印记或亲本偏向系统中变异的发育结果。更广泛的影响。这个项目试图确定种子大小基因，这些基因可能在基因组调节的短期适应策略中发挥作用，解释了拟南芥提升系之间的一些性状差异。这一方面可以直接转化为农业中的新育种策略。该项目还将致力于推进生物和数学边界的教育。所使用的RI线非常适合作为基础遗传学和生理学与计算方法之间的桥梁的课堂工具。在罗兹学院的植物遗传学和多样性课程中，已经创建了一个学习模块来进行可发表的国际扶轮研究。资源将从这些课程材料中产生，允许大学和高中水平的教育工作者在课堂上使用国际扶轮系统。教育目标将通过让本科生研究人员参与这项工作的所有阶段来进一步支持，并将继续积极招募科学界代表性较低的少数群体参与这些研究项目。由分子和细胞生物科学遗传机制集群和刺激竞争性研究的实验计划共同资助。

Although it is common knowledge that we receive half of our genes from our mother and half from our fathers, it is less widely known that the genes we inherit can play different roles depending on which parent provided them. For example, genes regulated by parental genomic imprinting (PGI) are silenced either maternally or paternally (depending on the gene) after fertilization. PGI has been characterized in mammals and seed plants, and in both cases has been linked in part to the regulation of maternal resources available to the offspring. Using the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana, it has been found that plants isolated from different regions can promote strong increases in seed size depending on whether they are used as mothers or fathers in crosses. This might further suggest that parental bias for resource allocation, or the even selection of imprinted genes themselves, is subject to variation in natural populations. This project aims to identify the genes involved in these parental effects using recombinant inbred (RI) lines, which are genetic chimeras of two initial parents, and mapping populations that carry visual markers for maternal gene expression. In addition, seed development will be characterized at the cellular level to better describe the developmental outcomes of variation in imprinted or parentally-biased systems. Broader impacts. This project seeks to identify seed size genes that may function in short-term adaptive strategies for genomic regulation, accounting for some trait variation between Arabidopsis ascensions. This aspect is directly translatable to novel breeding strategies in agriculture. This project will also aim to advance education at the boundary of biology and mathematics. The RI lines employed are uniquely suited as a classroom tool to bridge basic genetics and physiology with computational methods. A learning module has been created to conduct publishable RI research in the Plant Genetics and Diversity course at Rhodes College. Resources will be generated from these course materials allowing educators at both the university and high school level to employ RI systems in the classroom. Educational goals will be further supported by involving undergraduate researchers at all stages of this work, and underrepresented minorities in science will continue to be actively recruited for these research projects.Co-funded by the Genetic Mechanisms Cluster in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences and the the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.