RUI: Seasonal regulation of reproduction in Physcomitrella patens

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Seasonal information, including temperature and daylength, is used by many plant and animal species to coordinate their reproduction with the environment, so that their offspring are produced at an appropriate time of year. Many flowering plants sense and respond to seasonal cues using a very similar genetic process, suggesting that this process evolved before these species separated from one another. The goal of this project is to better understand the evolution of seasonal regulation by studying how it works in a very distantly related plant, the moss Physcomitrella patens. The results of this research may be pivotal in developing new agricultural crop varieties, especially as seasonal conditions change globally. Undergraduate research students will gain valuable expertise in research through involvement in all aspects of the project. The project will also provide a postdoctoral scientist with training and mentorship in both teaching and research. This project uses the moss Physcomitrella patens to probe the evolutionary origin of seasonal regulation in land plants, in order to determine if seasonal regulation evolved prior to the divergence of land plants, or if it arose separately in distinct land plant lineages. A third model would involve conserved upstream pathway components coupled to a novel downstream regulatory module that induces gametangial differentiation in response to proper seasonal cues. In order to distinguish between these alternatives, the project will identify genes involved in seasonal regulation of reproduction in Physcomitrella, utilizing natural variants that differ in their responses to seasonal cues. A combination of whole-genome re-sequencing and RNAseq transcript profiling will be used to identify genes that may be involved in reproductive timing in response to environmental cues. Candidate gene transcript level will be assessed in a wider range of conditions and accessions using quantitative RT-PCR and targeted gene knockouts will be used to assess the functional involvement of candidate genes in seasonal regulation of sexual reproduction. The project will provide significant research training undergraduate student researchers and professional development including presentation at national and international conferences, and will provide an outstanding training opportunity for a postdoctoral scientist interested in undergraduate education.