Collaborative Research: Chromatin Modification in Archaea and its Role in Gene Expression

合作研究：古细菌染色质修饰及其在基因表达中的作用

• 批准号: 1517408
• 负责人: Paul Blum
• 金额: $ 37.97万
• 依托单位: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1517408&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Chromatin; Modification; Archaea

Epigenetics (the study of physiological variation not caused by DNA) is an expanding area of great importance to the survival and health of living organisms. This research will investigate the evolutionary origin of epigenetics using an archaeal microbe as the studied organism. The results of this project could establish new ways to understand fundamental aspects of epigenetics. The project will also provide training for college students through new classroom-based efforts including hands-on laboratory modules for general microbiology courses. The modules will be adapted for use in high schools and with underrepresented minority students in the U. S. Department of Education Upward Bound program. Graduate and undergraduate students will be cross-trained in multiple disciplines, including systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, and microbiology.A heritable phenotype results from transmission of a DNA allele or chromatin modification state that controls gene expression. The archaeon Sulfolobus solfatarics has chromatin proteins that are methylated and acetylated. Sophisticated chromatin-based mechanisms in eukaryotes are known to regulate gene expression, but the extent to which similar processes might be used in the archaeal kingdom is unknown. This project will test the hypothesis that archaeal chromatin protein modification and gene expression are coupled in a coordinated fashion. The anticipated results will provide a new context in which to place transcriptional regulation in the archaea and expand insight into the evolution of chromatin.

表观遗传学（研究非DNA引起的生理变异）是一个对生物体的生存和健康具有重要意义的新兴领域。本研究将以古细菌微生物为研究对象，探讨表观遗传学的进化起源。这个项目的结果可以建立新的方法来理解表观遗传学的基本方面。该项目还将通过新的基于课堂的努力，包括普通微生物学课程的动手实验模块，为大学生提供培训。这些模块将适用于高中和美国教育部向上发展计划中代表性不足的少数民族学生。研究生和本科生将在多个学科交叉训练，包括系统生物学，遗传学，生物化学和微生物学。可遗传的表型是由控制基因表达的DNA等位基因或染色质修饰状态的传递产生的。古细菌Sulfolobus solfatarics具有甲基化和乙酰化的染色质蛋白。已知真核生物中基于染色质的复杂机制调节基因表达，但在古细菌王国中可能使用的类似过程的程度尚不清楚。该项目将验证古细菌染色质蛋白修饰和基因表达以协调方式耦合的假设。预期的结果将提供一个新的背景下，将转录调控在古细菌和扩大洞察染色质的进化。