Elucidating the mechanism of meiotic drive by mRNA editing-mediated spore killing in Neurospora fungi.

这个项目将调查基因是从父母传递给后代的偏见的方式。对具有这种能力的基因（称为作弊基因或作弊者）的研究可以帮助设计合成作弊基因。人工合成的作弊器可以用来通过具有重要经济意义的生物种群来繁殖所需的性状。虽然作弊者已经在广泛的生物体中被发现，但他们可能最容易在微生物中进行研究。因此，本项目将重点研究丝状真菌粗糙脉孢菌中的欺骗基因。这个项目的主要目的是阐明孢子杀伤的分子机制，这是真菌骗子通常使用的一个过程，以实现有偏见的传播率。该项目的主要目标是为研究生、本科生和GK-12 STEM教师提供研究培训。该项目的主要对象是两组作弊基因：Sk-2和Sk-3。当携带Sk-2或Sk-3的菌株与非孢子杀死菌株交配时，只有继承Sk基因组的孢子（后代）存活。选择性杀死非Sk基因型似乎需要至少两个基因：一个产生毒素，一个产生解毒剂。关于Sk-2，已经鉴定了毒素和解毒剂基因。此外，产毒基因的转录本会进行mRNA编辑，这是真菌中最近发现的一种现象，但人们对此知之甚少。关于Sk-3，只有解毒剂基因已经被确定，mRNA编辑的作用尚不清楚。因此，该项目的目标是鉴定Sk-3毒素基因，揭示孢子杀伤毒素的细胞靶点，发现孢子杀伤毒素被孢子杀伤解毒剂中和的分子过程，以及了解RNA二级结构在孢子杀手mRNA编辑中的作用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This project will investigate genes that are transmitted from parents to offspring in a biased manner. Research on genes with this ability, referred to as cheating genes or cheaters, can aid efforts to engineer synthetic cheating genes. Synthetic cheaters can be used to propagate desirable traits through populations of economically important organisms. Although cheaters have been identified in a broad range of organisms, they are perhaps most easily studied in microorganisms. Therefore, this project will focus on cheating genes in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. The primary aim of this project is to elucidate the molecular mechanism of spore killing, a process commonly used by fungal cheaters to achieve biased transmission rates. The primary aim will be pursued while providing research training to graduate students, undergraduate students, and a GK-12 STEM teacher.The primary subjects of this project will be two sets of cheating genes: Sk-2 and Sk-3. When an Sk-2 or an Sk-3-carrying strain mates with a non-spore killing strain, only spores (offspring) that inherit an Sk gene set survive. The selective killing of non-Sk genotypes appears to require at least two genes: one that produces a poison and one that produces an antidote. With respect to Sk-2, the poison and antidote genes have been identified. Furthermore, transcripts from the poison-producing gene undergo mRNA editing, a recently discovered and poorly understood phenomenon in fungi. With respect to Sk-3, only the antidote gene has been identified and the role of mRNA editing is unclear. The goals of this project are thus to identify the Sk-3 poison gene, to reveal the cellular target(s) of the Spore killer poisons, to discover the molecular process by which Spore killer poisons are neutralized by Spore killer antidotes, and to understand the role of RNA secondary structure in the editing of Spore killer mRNAs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.